The Serra Gaúcha, a hilly region in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, is known as Brazil’s wine country thanks to the work of turn-of-the-century Italian immigrants. But the region’s furniture makers have made their mark, too. They account for nearly half of Rio Grande do Sul’s furniture output and have helped the state rank as Brazil’s second leading furniture producer. They’re a big reason Rio Grande do Sul accounts for 20% of national furniture output and 30% of the sector’s exports, which go mainly to the United States. Like many businesses, though, Serra Gaúcha’s furniture makers struggle with environmental problems. To attack a crucial one—waste management—they have joined state authorities and university researchers in a two-stage project. Vania Schneider, a professor at the Environmental Sanitation Institute of Caxias do Sul University, a private college in the Serra Gaúcha, is a coordinator of the project. She spoke recently with EcoAméricas correspondent Bill Hinchberger in Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul. [Log in to read more]

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