Recife’s Metropolitan Region to gain first Urban and Peri-urban Farming School

By Rosa Sampaio
Journalist at the Sabiá Center

The Sabiá Center is launching the MARIAS School – Women and Urban Farmers in the Metropolitan Region of Recife (RMR). The 24-month project aims to strengthen urban and peri-urban agriculture initiatives with an agro-ecological profile in Greater Recife, by training and sharing the knowledge of 100 farmers, especially peripheral women, with a view to Food and Nutrition Security, health, income generation and improving the quality of life of these populations.

Centro Sabiá’s initiative is in partnership with the Center for Agroecology and Peasantry and the Pro-Rectory of Extension, Culture and Citizenship of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE) and the Homeless Workers’ Movement (MTST), and with the support of the National Urban Agriculture Program, of the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger – MDS/Federal Government. The action is the result of a parliamentary amendment by federal deputy Túlio Gadelha.

The course will be divided into two modules: food production and food processing. There will be four classes over the two years of the project. Complementing the training, all students will take part in an additional module of cross-cutting themes, in six lectures on topics related to guaranteeing rights and promoting social justice from the perspective of Agroecological Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture. Each group will also take part in an immersion exchange to get to know other urban farming experiences.

The project will monitor five gardens in the farmers’ communities: the garden in the Onze Negras Quilombola Community, in Cabo de Santo Agostinho; and in Recife, the Dandara Popular Agroecological Garden in Peixinhos, the Cozinha Solidária Garden in Vila Santa Luzia, in Torre, the Sonho de Viver Popular Agroecological Garden, in Boa Viagem, and the Margaridas Garden, in Jiquiá.

The Sabiá Center, the UFRPE and the MTST officially launch the MARIAS School, as part of the Earth Day 2024 actions. The launch is scheduled for Monday, April 22 (World Earth Day), at 11am, at the Joaquim Nabuco Foundation – FUNDAJ, Calouste Gulbenkian room, in Casa Forte, Recife. The event will be attended by urban farmers, representatives of the NGO, UFRPE and the Movement.