Community-based regeneration in Brazil

Stretching across over one million square kilometres of dry lands in the north east of the country, the Semi-Arid is home to over 55% of those Brazilians who live below the poverty line. There are few commercial opportunities here and the long-term goal of our programme is to promote a more ecologically and socially sustainable economic system in the region.  

Our pilot project is focused on creating a community business model based on organic farming. Local people have started to grow maize, beans, sesame and vegetables alongside cotton as a main cash crop. The cultivation and sale of cotton generates income while improving the quality of water and soil, which in turn regenerates the local ecosystem. 

For the first three years, our partner is focusing on strengthening community organisations and improving production, processing and marketing abilities; ensuring produce makes a positive social, economic and environmental contribution; and enabling the local population to access financial systems, guaranteeing that they have the resources they need to run and sustain the new way of working.