Productive backyards cultivated by women guarantee water, food and dignity in the semi-arid region
In the semi-arid region of Pernambuco, rural women have been transforming the local reality through agroecological practices that combine environmental conservation with economic strengthening. In the quilombola community of Feijão e Posse, in Mirandiba (PE), agroecological farmers supplied the city during the pandemic, as highlighted by the president of the residents' association, Maria Tatiane Gomes de Souza.
“Using mobile sales groups, we supplied the city during the pandemic,” says Tatiane. She explains that in the community, some families have individual productive backyards, but the community garden brings everyone together.
Alongside Tatiane, farmer Maria Bezerra reinforces the importance of this union. “Our strength is like roots. We take [food] from the community garden to eat, sell and, if necessary, donate.”
In Sertânia, in the community of farmer Joana Darck, agroecological practices also guarantee the livelihood of families, with the production of different foods mixed in the intercropping of sesame and agroecological cotton.
President of the Pajeú Agroecological Association (ASAP), Joana explains: “We are not just taking [from nature], we are returning nutrients. Agroecological production goes beyond seeds; it is a work that encompasses all crops.”
Agroecology in the semi-arid region
In both communities, projects supported by the Ecos Fund have strengthened agroecological practices. In Feijão and Posse, the focus is on completing the community kitchen, construction of which began in 2014 with support from the Casa da Mulher do Nordeste (CMN).
Through this space, at least 20 quilombola families are directly benefited, and 15 women receive training in good practices for food handling, fruit processing and sweet production.
In Serra Talhada (PE), ASAP maintains a food processing unit that adds value to local production, transforming natural foods into products such as tahini, peanut butter and sesame oil. The items are processed with the support of photovoltaic energy installed with resources from the Ecos Fund. Around 230 families from 25 communities are involved in the production.
According to forestry engineer Jessica Pedreira, technical advisor at the Institute for Society, Population and Nature (ISPN), agroecological practices not only preserve the Caatinga landscape, but also promote food security and income generation.
“These are low-impact practices that conserve soil, water, and native and traditional seeds. The productive backyard, for example, is a feminine space [where women spend most of their time], essential for food security. When associated with extractivism in the Caatinga, it allows for the commercialization of surpluses, generating more value for the products.”
Agroecology differs from conventional farming due to its integrated and sustainable approach. While agroecology values traditional knowledge and food sovereignty, conventional farming prioritizes large-scale productivity, using pesticides and chemical inputs that can degrade the soil and the environment.
A fundamental practice for agroecology in the semiarid region is soil cover – which consists of covering the surface of the soil with organic matter, such as dry leaves, branches, straw and fruit remains. This technique protects the soil against erosion and reduces water evaporation in a region with high levels of sunlight. “The cover protects the soil, which acts like a sponge, better storing water,” explains Jessica.
Social technologies, such as greywater reuse cisterns, play a central role in collecting wastewater from kitchens and bathrooms to irrigate productive gardens. Water storage for human consumption is guaranteed by so-called first water cisterns, which collect and store rainwater in covered and protected reservoirs.
Joana Darck, a resident of the Cacimbinha Settlement in Sertânia, believes that agroecology is “the only way to stay in the countryside.” The challenge, however, is not limited to irregular rainfall. Data from the Brazilian Semiarid Articulation (ASA) shows that only 4,2% of arable land is in the hands of 1,5 million farming families, while 38% belongs to large landowners.
Jessica emphasizes that the context demands innovation. “Traditional practices, based on agroecology, need to be improved, with collective and not just individual actions, to face climate change and the limitation of resources in the territories.”
Quilombola Catarina Maria de Conceição, a resident of the Cacimba community, located in Quilombo Catolé, in the municipality of Serra Talhada (PE), confirms the scenario: “I live in the struggle, taking care of the fields, the animals, trying. Whoever tries, one day gets there.”
“I once lived here and had no water, I had to fetch water from far away. One day I was in a bit of a bind, so I left here and said: I’ll only come back here when I have water. Having water like this is better, the cistern is good because it collects good water,” she adds.
Catarina grows beans, corn, cotton and palm. To boost production, the farmer has benefited from the implementation of an agroecological production system through the Rural Community Education Center (Cecor) project, selected by the 35th Ecos Fund Call for Proposals. The idea behind the funding is to set up an agroecological fair close to the community to sell food produced in the region.
Focused on families headed by women, the project seeks to improve food security and generate income, also addressing the scenario of violence against women in Sertão do Pajeú. In the first half of 2024 alone, 1.203 cases of violence were recorded in the region, almost 5% of the cases in the state of Pernambuco.
The ASAP project focuses on processing foods such as sesame, sunflower and peanuts. According to Diaconia agricultural technician Roseane Simões, technical advisor for Diaconia, “the impact is that families can see that their produce has a means of commercialization, a fair commercialization, both for those who produce and for consumers.”
In addition to strengthening agroecological production, projects supported by the Ecos Fund promote collective training and workshops to transform local production into products such as jams, sweets and liqueurs. “The Fund contributes to the sustainable use of production, in addition to supporting social technologies, such as agroecological stoves, in the case of projects in quilombola communities, and small-scale solar energy, in the case of the ASAP project,” explains Jessica.
Despite the progress, Jessica warns about the impacts of large solar power plants, which have caused deforestation in the Caatinga. “Solar energy is only truly sustainable when used on a small scale and in a decentralized manner.”
Exchanges between communities have also been essential for sharing experiences and strengthening female protagonism. In the Pajeú backlands, agroecology has shown itself to be more than an agricultural technique: it is a path to resilience, sustainability and social transformation.
#HereThereIsAnEcosFund: The projects and organizations mentioned in the text were selected in the 35th Ecos Fund call for proposals, focusing on the Caatinga. The initiative has financial support from the GEF (SGP) and institutional support from UNDP Brazil.
Text and photos by Camila Araujo, ISPN Communications Advisor