Farmers in focus: “It’s our land!”

By
23 September 2012

Julio, Ednea and their children from the Padre Jesus community, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Julio and Ednea

Near the town of Espera Feliz, in Minas Gerais, Brazil, a group of farmer families has jointly bought land to grow their own crops and established the Padre Jesus community. By organising themselves as a co-operative, they were able to access the government programme that provides farmers with a loan to purchase land.

Julio, Ednea and their children are one of these families. After working as sharecroppers and having to move seven times, Julio and Ednea were finally able to put their names on the title deed of six hectares of arable land two years ago.

Using agro-ecological approaches, they now use this land to nourish their family and also earn a decent income. They grow food in their fully organic vegetable garden for their own consumption and to sell on the farmers’ market. They also grow coffee, intercropped with seven varieties of beans, maize, banana and cassava.

As one of their neighbours said, “when we conquered this land we not only freed ourselves from bondage, we also freed the land of toxic chemicals.” All the families are now growing coffee individually, but plans are being made to harvest, process and export the coffee collectively next year. “Working together is giving us the chance to learn how to produce food and make a profit without relying on external inputs”.

Text and photo: Laura Eggens