Sustainable Development Project for Agrarian Reform Settlements in the Semi-Arid North-East

The project area includes about 60 municipalities in a semi-arid zone extending across six states of the North-East region: Ceara, Paraiba, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe. The municipalities were selected because of their high poverty rates and high concentration of agrarian reform settlements. The project area is among the most disadvantaged in the country in terms of access to housing, sanitation, education, health services and employment. Poor soils and severe cyclical droughts are major obstacles to agricultural productivity.

The overall objective of the project is to introduce sustainable improvements in income and living conditions for poor agrarian reform settlers and neighbouring smallholders. Project activities specifically target groups that are generally discriminated against, particularly women, youth and ethnic groups such as Brazilians of African descent. Specific goals of the project are to:

• improve agricultural and small business management skills
• improve market linkages
• improve production technologies adapted for semi-arid climates
• teach water management techniques
• provide support for marketing, small agro-industries and rural enterprises
• create a production investment fund

Source: IFAD