Do you know where the food you eat comes from?

In Brazil, family farming covers an area of 80.9 million hectares, which represents 23% of the total area of Brazilian agricultural establishments. The 2017 Agricultural Census survey, carried out on more than 5 million rural properties across Brazil, shows that 77% of the country’s agricultural establishments were classified as family farms.

According to the statistics, family farming employed more than 10 million people in September 2017, which corresponds to 67% of the total number of people employed in agriculture, and is responsible for the income of 40% of the economically active population.

For 28 years, the Sustainable Rural Development Association of Serra da Baixa Verde (ADESSU Baixa Verde) has been encouraging family farmers to produce agroecologically. Part of this production is sold in communities, cooperatives, family farming fairs and agroecological fairs.

It is necessary to strengthen and create public policies that encompass economic, social and environmental issues allied to the implementation of social technologies, permanent technical advice, awareness campaigns for the population and projects that strengthen family farming.