The Brazilian state of Pernambuco is the first federal state to adopt a policy on "sustainable living in drought" in March 2013. This is a great success for our partner organisation Centro Sabiá, which has been politically promoting the adopted methods for years.
In 2013, farmers in the state of Pernambuco lost 50 percent of their herds due to the drought. Four-fifths of these losses will be borne by small farming families. Climate change has exacerbated the drought catastrophes in northeastern Brazil. Under the pressure of these events, the Brazilian state of Pernambuco has adopted a program for "sustainable living in the drought".
Methods and strategies incorporated into the programme
Many methods and strategies have been incorporated into the programme, which have been demanded for years by our partner organisation Centro Sabia and by the organised farmers. For our partner organisation Centro Sabia this is a huge success in their fight for sustainable agriculture in Brazil. The political pressure and lobbying work has paid off.
Centro Sabia significantly involved in the process
The programme was developed in a broad-based process in which representatives of the Centro Sabia played a major role. The objectives of the political programme, which are now enshrined in law, include a right to access to water, climate monitoring, environmental education (education for a sustainable lifestyle), agricultural and technical advice and support for small-scale family farming.
For a sustainable and dignified life for small farming families
Our project partner Centro Sabia has been working for decades with farmers' associations and the national network of organizations in semiarid Brazil (Articulacao de Semi Arido - ASA). The aim of the cooperation is to develop and disseminate strategies and organic farming methods for a sustainable and dignified life of the small farmer families. Centro Sabia lobbies for concrete political programmes and measures within these well politically anchored actors.
