Spring recovery and protection program

Through an initiative initiated within the scope of the Rio Pardo River Basin Management Committee and jointly with the City Hall of Vera Cruz-RS and the University of Santa Cruz do Sul (UNISC), Philip Morris Brasil is dedicated to maintaining the recovery and protection of the sources of Arroio Andréas, the main source of water supply in Vera Cruz-RS, through the Protector das Águas program, where the company is responsible for annual payments for environmental services – PES to farmers. Currently, 63 farmers are enrolled in the Project, identified by the River Basins Committee as direct influencers of water quality in Arroio Andreas.

We expanded our efforts during 2019 to another degraded area, located in the municipality of Sinimbú-RS. In partnership with UNISC, we carry out diagnoses in order to evaluate the water coming from springs in rural properties without any type of treatment or protection. Based on the diagnosis carried out, an individualized intervention project begins in the springs of each producer contemplated by the project.