At 680 meters in height, in the Serra da Papuã, in the municipality of Ibirapitanga (Bahia), and inside the Pratigi Environmental Protection Area (EPA), this is the highest point of the Southern Bahia Lowlands. The venue, which houses the Odebrecht Foundation offices and Land Conservation Organization’s (OCT in Portuguese) headquarters, has been attracting universities and researchers, as it is a space for study and sustainable development practices. It has rooms, an auditorium for up to 80 people, library, research center, restaurant and three bungalows, with the capacity for up to 52 guests.

The result of a partnership established in 2008 between the United Nations (UN) and Odebrecht Foundation, the Papuã Center is seen as a benchmark in the region.  It allows combining theoretical knowledge with the experience of topics of public interest, linked to sustainability, education and productive awareness, in just one place. “It is a center which values the best equation of human action, in harmony with the environment”, explained the OCT CEO, Joaquim Cardoso.

It has already been the stage for hundreds of national and international training sessions, such as the First Reflection and Learning Meeting held in 2009, with specialists and professionals from Canada and Institutions, Foundations and Company Group (GIFE in Portuguese) representatives. As one of the more recent experiences, the State University of Santa Cruz used the Papuã Center in October this year to teach the “Diagnostic Analysis of Agricultural Systems” component, offered on the Post-Graduation in Development and the Environment Master’s and Doctorates programs and the Master’s program in Regional Economics. Arriving from France solely to teach these classes, the professor and specialist in rural development, Marc Dufumier, highlighted that the training met all their expectations. “The students could see and analyze the agricultural reality in the region, being able to make precise diagnoses, as an experience to be reapplied in other locations”, he confirmed.

To use the Papuã Center, a space for studies and sustainable development practices, contact OCT by email: contato@oct.com.br, explaining your interest and the aim of the reservation. Information on availability, costs, and other details, will be provided.