The Juruena Valley, composed of the municipalities of Juína, Juruena and Cotriguaçu, is located in the northwest of the state of Mato Grosso and has high environmental relevance because it is characterized as a transition area between the Cerrado and Amazon biomes. This ecotone condition gives the region great biological diversity, with the presence of endemic species and high importance for conservation.

The municipalities are located on the banks of the Juruena River, approximately 930 km from Cuiabá, and are part of a region considered a new agricultural frontier, whose most recent occupation — about 30 years — still reflects a productive culture strongly associated with deforestation.

In territorial terms, Juruena has about 319 thousand hectares, of which approximately 60% are still covered by native vegetation. Cotriguaçu, with more than 912 thousand hectares, maintains about 78% of its area preserved, including indigenous lands. The region also stands out as an important livestock hub, being responsible for about 35% of the state's calf production.

The local economy is based on livestock, logging and family farming. Between 2000 and 2023, the cattle herd in the region grew significantly, from approximately 540 thousand to more than 1.5 million head. At the same time, family farming plays an important role, representing about a third of the gross value of agricultural production, with emphasis on chains such as milk, cassava, bananas, coffee, nuts, aquaculture and fruit growing.

The PCI Pact of the Juruena Valley, formed by the three municipalities and located on the border with the state of Pará, was structured from 2018/2019 with the support of the HDI and local actors. The process involved the mobilization of institutions, definition of priorities, construction of goals and formalization of a common vision of sustainable development, through the signing of Memorandums of Understanding — in 2018 for Cotriguaçu and Juruena, and more recently in 2024 for Juína.

The Pact aims to promote a development model based on the sustainable intensification of production, reduction of deforestation and income generation, through articulation between the public and private sectors and civil society.

Since 2025, the PCI Institute has been making structured efforts to strengthen its operations in the territory, focusing on the construction and consolidation of local governance, engagement of strategic actors, fundraising for the execution of projects in the municipalities, maintenance of active teams of executive secretaries and standardization of the Compacts. This process includes the creation of municipal laws, updating of Memoranda of Understanding, establishment of internal regulations, and the implementation of a systematic routine of meetings aimed at deliberation, analysis of results, monitoring of goals and indicators, as well as the continuous identification of local challenges and opportunities.