Piauí Youth Develop App to Boost Carnauba Extractivist Income
Young people from Piauí, Brazil, have developed a mobile application called 'Rastro e Voz' (Trace and Voice) aimed at increasing the income of carnauba extractivists in the Carnaubais Territory in the northern part of the state. This tool is designed to simplify production documentation and facilitate access to new markets, specifically for rural workers with limited digital literacy. The app allows for easy recording of production information, including audio messages and location data, and operates on an offline-first model, ensuring functionality even in areas with poor internet connectivity.
The initiative originated from Débora Jaysa, 27, a participant in the Rural Youth Transformative Program, who drew upon her rural background and understanding of extractivists' daily challenges. She collaborated with fellow young individuals Luciane Ferreira, Jayne Carla, and Marcílio Honnayb to bring the app to fruition. The Rural Youth Transformative Program is a joint effort by the Secretariat of Family Agriculture (SAF), the Federal Institute of Piauí (IFPI), and the Ministry of Social Development (MDS).
Initially conceived as a traceability training proposal, the project evolved into an app with the partnership of developer Jainí Medeiros. The application has been tested by members of the Association of Carnauba Women of Piauí (Amacep) and currently has 24 users, with a goal of reaching 100 by year-end. The team plans to expand its focus to other production chains after successfully supporting the carnauba sector. The project has also been formalized as a startup, complete with a CNPJ registration and brand registration process.
The app's offline-first functionality allows users to collect GPS data and record audio even without a signal. These records are stored locally and synchronized with the server once a connection is available, generating a QR code for product traceability. 'Rastro e Voz' is one of several projects from the first cohort of the Rural Youth Transformative Program, which trained 100 young people in sustainable family farming, agroecology, technological innovation, and territorial development. The program plans to enroll 130 new participants in its next edition, emphasizing the potential of rural youth to create innovative solutions rooted in their communities.
This initiative highlights the potential for technology to address specific challenges faced by traditional agricultural communities. By focusing on an offline-first design and user-friendly features, the 'Rastro e Voz' app directly tackles connectivity limitations prevalent in rural areas, enabling extractivists to document their production and potentially access broader markets. The project's origin within a government-supported youth training program suggests a systemic effort to foster innovation in family agriculture. The development of a startup framework indicates a forward-looking approach to ensure the project's sustainability and scalability. Future considerations might involve exploring how such digital tools can be integrated into broader agricultural policies to enhance supply chain transparency and fair pricing, thereby empowering rural producers within the evolving digital economy.
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