On April 19, the President of the Association of Diplomats from the Brazilian College of Military Studies (ADESG) and Federal Police Chief, Pedro Berwanger, together with the group accompanying them were welcomed by Norberto Odebrecht, Chair of the Odebrecht Foundation Board of Trustees, at the Organization’s head office in Salvador, Bahia.

During the meeting, Norberto Odebrecht shared his life experiences and the main challenges faced by the Development and Integrated Growth Program with Sustainability for the Southern Bahia Lowlands Environmental Protection Areas Mosaic (PDCIS), supported by the Odebrecht Foundation and public and private partners.

At the end of the conversation, Pedro Berwanger paid tribute to the founder of the Organization with a plaque recognizing the contribution made by PDCIS to Brazilian society. “This is a model program that can be adapted to any other place in Brazil,” said Berwanger. “Just as it has been successful here, it can also work in other regions and change the lives of millions of Brazilians,” said the President of ADESG. Mauricio Medeiros, Executive Chair of the Odebrecht Foundation, was also honored.

After the meeting, the group continued on to the Bahia Southern Lowlands, where it interacted with youth and met the members of the cooperatives that are part of PDCIS. The visit ended on April 20 and allowed Pedro Berwanger to visit the head offices of the Pratigi EPA Guardian Association and the Land Conservation Organization, institutions that are also part of the program and develop social-environmental projects.