With increasing environmental degradation, forest restoration initiatives have seen increased adoption globally, with particularly high numbers of new policies and programs in Brazil. The Brazilian Forest Code was revised in 2012 and the National Policy for the Recovery of Native Vegetation was published in 2017. Additionally, Pará state has launched its Environmental Regularization Program (PRA). Environmental restoration actions depend on the active participation of local communities. It is therefore essential to understand what factors motivate farmers to engage in ecosystem restoration. Here, we analyze motives for, and barriers against family farmers engaging in forest restoration on their properties. We conducted a field survey, consisting of a semi-open questionnaire, in Paragominas, a municipality that resides in the southeastern Amazonian state of Pará. We assessed the understanding and acceptance of the rules contained within the Brazilian National Policy for Protection of Native Vegetation (known as Forest Code), along with the participants' perceptions of natural resources and motivations for forest restoration. Two riverine communities, Nazaré and São Sebastião, located in the Capim River region, in the north of Paragominas were surveyed. Governmental forest restoration initiatives, including forest nurseries, have previously been implemented in these communities through the restoration program called “Pará Florestal” (PF) coordinated by the state institute IDEFLOR-Bio. To contextualize the restoration initiatives being developed in the studied region, we conducted interviews with employees of IDEFLOR-BIO and EMATER, the two institutions involved in the Pará Florestal Program. We used a Multiple Correspondence Analysis to identify factors which motivate smallholders to engage in forest restoration. Willingness to participate in forest restoration was not limited to those who were formally participating in the PF. However, PF participants appeared to be more connected with local biodiversity, as they cited more species to be potentially useful in restoration initiatives they also saw fewer obstacles to forest restoration. Contrary to expectations, the lowest interest in forest restoration was associated with younger people (<45 years) that had elementary education and smaller families (<4 people), indicating the need for greater incentives for this group. This study highlights a lack of confidence in restoration programs mainly due to failure of past initiatives in the region. The importance of continuity in the technical assistance provided to farmers was emphasized, along with the importance of promoting capacity building for forestry and increasing the potential for economic revenues from agroforestry systems. The results of this research indicate the need to consider the profile of smallholder families to guide programs and ensure success in forest restoration. Additionally, more incentives are necessary for ecological restoration to have a better balance between agricultural production and ecosystem services provision.
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