An Overview Of Our Solution
The problem lies with the extreme economic, social and productive dependence that farming families have on the Tobacco Industry, considering all its complexity and size.
The work in progress aims to strengthen initiatives in productive and organizational environments, adding to the participation in decision-making / articulation bodies directed to the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control-FCTC, to which Brazil has been a signatory since 2005.
It is also based on the demands and references made by CEPAGRO and its partner organizations, covering the southern region of Brazil. Working towards the inclusion of tobacco growing families in processes of agroecological transition and grassroots organization, in order to produce and market organic food, to the detriment of tobacco cultivation, which is not food.
Who is this solution impacting?
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: South America
General Information
Organization type
非盈利
Ecosystem (select all that apply)
Forests
Freshwater
Grasslands
Oceans/Coasts
Urban/Built Environment
Population impacted
1000 people between rural and other communities
Challenge
Size of agricultural area
200ha distributed in areas of alternative cultivation, protection of native forest and manzanares of fresh water, recovery of degraded areas.
Production quantity
20.000kilos, foods produced over two harvests
People employed
400 people in three municipalities.
Solution
Describe your solution
Using agroecology and grassroots organization as strategies to include new families of tobacco growers in agroecological transition processes. We affirm that the work being carried out points to viable solutions in the social protection of families, recovery and protection of manancia, income generation and integration in collaborative networks.
These families, their workforce and the use of natural resources for tobacco can be an opportunity when we can include and consolidate families in diversified agro-productive activities. Thus contributing to the world's needs for the production of clean food through sustainable agricultural practices and increasing various nutritional sources for the most diverse consumers due to the increase of agrobiodiversity.
As previously cultivated areas were not used for food production, with access to commercialization channels never accessed, especially free markets, democratizing access to food.
The work has allowed families to be protagonists in audiences and public meetings, reports of various media, thus reinforcing initiatives of recognition and appreciation of those who resist living in rural areas.
We also consider being part of the solutions, contributing to studies and academic partnerships, with cooperation agencies, public and private organizations not linked to the tobacco industry and its ramifications, always reinforcing the social organizational element, strongly present when we carry out group farming.
Implementation
Describe your implementation
The proposal will be developed with a view to establishing diversified cropping areas, and it is necessary for this to contribute inputs for the recovery of degraded soils (green manure seeds, seedlings of native species, seeds and seedlings of commercial interest, organic compound, among others ) By increasing ecologically based activities / management. The distribution / application with the families will be through the formative and technical orientation activities, comprising in this the agroproductive and cultural vocation of each family/group.
In order to adopt the agroecological practice among tobacco growing families in the context of economic constraints, it is necessary to provide support for the acquisition of inputs that accelerate and facilitate the transition process. Firstly, identifying and diagnosing tobacco farmers interested in providing agricultural production areas for the agroecological transition (Step 1).
To this end, it will be necessary to participate in training workshops in agroecology (Stage 2). This second moment will be given in a meeting with the farmers to define the beneficiaries of the agroecological transition inputs. In this way, the project will make available in a planned and careful way seeds and seedlings. The third stage will be the technical follow-up of the implementation of the inputs and the strategies to recover soil fertility for the short and medium term (always considering the organizational factor involved).
The solution of the challenges to be encountered will be built jointly with the beneficiaries of the proposal, and collective meetings to mobilize future actions and promote intercommunication among those involved will be of paramount importance, and this dynamic is part of CEPAGRO's methodological trajectory.
External connections
Institutional alliances are part of our strategy, we seek to dialogue through a unity of actions, respecting the scope of intervention that each partnership establishes.
Because it is an NGO, CEPAGRO's operating dynamics have diverse sources of financial and non-financial support, distributed in advocacy actions and technical work in urban and rural areas. We do not compromise with partisan and syndicate "atrelamentos", and we do not accept resources from any doubtful source, tobacco companies, agrochemicals and those who exploit work analogous to slavery.
We maintain cooperation with agencies and international organizations such as Misereor and Inter-American Foundation, Unfairtobacco, SHARE, Cancer Foundation, INCA / MS, Santa Catarina Public Ministry, with the Federal University of Santa Catarina, in particular with the Agrarian Sciences Center, Public sector, and part of the Legislative involved with thematic, family agriculture organizations, Health with action on related issues.
We participate actively in the Ecovida Network of Agroecology, a space that congregates around 4,000 families organized in 270 groups and associations, articulated in 28 regional centers that cover more than 200 municipalities in southern Brazil. We also integrate the Slow Food Network, the National Diversification Thematic Network and the Smoking Control Alliance Network, strengthening the rural relationship with the health sector and tobacco prevention.
Results
What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?
The problem lies with the extreme economic, social and productive dependence that farming families have on the Tobacco Industry, considering all its complexity and size.
It is also based on the demands and references made by CEPAGRO and its partner organizations, covering the southern region of Brazil. Working towards the inclusion of tobacco growing families in processes of agroecological transition and grassroots organization, in order to produce and market organic food, to the detriment of tobacco cultivation, which is not food.
Describe the context in which you are operating
Brazil is the second largest tobacco producer in the world, and the first to export 85% of its production going beyond the seas. The State of Santa Catarina is the second largest tobacco producer in the country, with 70% of the municipalities involved, totaling more than 40,000 families, 100,000 hectares of land without food crops. A System where producers have exclusive contracts with processors without possibility of alternative markets. In addition to the high levels of disease among farmers in this segment, cross-border cigarette smuggling, the already recognized status of smoking as an epidemic in global proportions, and the environmental and social damages caused by this activity, reinforce change initiatives.
In 2003 the WHO, celebrated the first international public health treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control FCTC, which was adopted by 168 member states including Brazil, during the 56th World Health Assembly. Its goal is "to protect present and future generations of the devastating sanitary, social, environmental and economic consequences generated by the production, consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke."
The Treaty establishes actions in different sectors, and is not limited to the health environment alone, recognizing the importance of technical and financial assistance to assist the economic transition of agricultural workers and workers of the activity. CEPAGRO focuses its work efforts since 2006, aiming at implementing the FCTC in Brazil.
How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?
Aiming to increase the impact of actions intended to the 100 reference family units involved in this proposal, we will apply activities aimed at:
-Promote the agroecological transition through the implantation and recovery of areas of food cultivation, using inputs directed to the organic production of plants and animals of the production unit.
-Promote biodiversity with conservation and restoration of permanent preservation. areas, as well as adequate management of existing natural resources.
-Organizations for the adequacy of organic compliance / Participative System of Guarantee.
-Capacitating beneficiaries through courses, field days, teaching material and exchange, in addition to the basic technical accompaniment, allowing to increase the commitments of driving and multiplication of actions.
-Oportunize extension and research with universities, seeking solutions to the methodological, technological and sanitary bottlenecks identified with the Family Farmers.
Language(s)
Agroecology, food production, worker health, grassroots organization
Water
The rural communities are inserted in the headwaters of the rivers, mainly of the Tijucas River Basin, supplying basin of drinking water for the coastal cities. A region rich in springs and streams, but with highly rugged relief resulting in frequent silting and chemical contamination resulting from conventional production. Our actions involving sustainable practices increase the supply and quality of water, making possible its domestic and productive use, paying attention to its preservation.
Food Security/Nutrition
The action is inserted in the context of family-based tobacco farming, aiming to implement initiatives to transition to ecologically based agriculture, using inputs / activities as motivating and targeted tools for food production in areas degraded by heavy use of nitrogenous insulation And agrochemicals. Considering that thousands of families and hectares planted with something that is not food, annul the agricultural production and preservation capacity of various agricultural regions.
Economic/Sustainable Development
Families of former tobacco growers today access organic legislation, trade directly at fairs, school feeding, circuits between cooperatives / groups, access unpublished public policies and programs as strategies in this region of historic tobacco presence. Opportunizing, diversified income, Health, and opportunity to stay in rural Santa Catarina. The innovation for these families who still grow tobacco is to make a transition, breaking with one of the most closed production chains in existence.
Climate
The cultivation of tobacco contributes negatively to the emission of greenhouse gases, involving all its exploratory chain. Fertilizers and agrochemicals, wood burning in drying ovens, diesel machinery, electricity and transport comprise the part related to these emissions in the production phase. The companies themselves report on emissions related to the Internet that clearly identify the most polluting phases involved in the tobacco process and which do not include cigarette consumption.
Sustainability
As an international debate, civil and public collaboration networks have been expanded to consolidate local and international public policies involving Health and Agriculture. However, because it is a subject still in evidence for structuring support purposes, the existing channels are limited.
We assume, and we have the Institutional purpose to broaden the litigation in forums, commissions and other spaces, especially with regard to farmers. Thus, and in view of the need to expand the work, there is a continuous search for structuring projects that promote the inclusion and consolidation of families in food production, involving costing and infrastructure. Not limited to CEPAGRO's region of action, as it is a worldwide problem.
Return on investment
As for the return on investment, this is composed of direct income generation of families, especially when they reach alternative markets for tobacco. Income distributed over the months more evenly, and not only in one period, as in tobacco.
Also income and indirect returns, when families recover their land areas, increase the diversity and quality of food, with consequent improvement in their own diet, avoiding problems and spending on health.
The preservation of manacles, shared logics, own inputs and sustainable agricultural practices broaden the investments made directly by farmers through public / other credits.
In a last rural extension project executed by CEPAGRO (2016), we had an investment of approximately 600USD/year/family.
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Replication and Scale
How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?
Yes, it is a replicable initiative, considering that producing food is in the emotional memory of farmers. There is also a common identity among tobacco growers scattered around the world, who may mirror those who made the transition with minimal support, but this identity may be a good advantage for the alternatives. Thus, the proposed replication is strongly linked to the environmental, social and health aspects of both rural workers and final consumers. What we establish as a basis for work is how to recover this self-esteem, this culture of agriculture, considering that individuals are not static, and in this the groups of families contribute a lot. Having effective actions and continuity in budgets, the number of families can be increased and considerable steps taken in transition, remembering that more important than expanding numerically is to consolidate references, with the potential to exchange / systematize these accumulations, with great interest of the FCTC / WHO.