Low-Income Family Support Project in the Semi-Arid Region of Sergipe State

Sergipe is the smallest of the North-East states. Productivity is held back by low rainfall, but there is good potential for developing irrigation. The project was designed to improve incomes and living standards for landless and peasant farmers with very small holdings in the semi-arid region of the state. A major objective was to help small-scale farmers form organized groups in order to determine their own needs. A land fund was established to provide credit for the purchase of up to 5 ha of land by landless or nearly landless families. Other project interventions included:

• developing microenterprise activities, especially for women
• ensuring equitable access to credit
• improving water supplies for human and livestock use helping develop technologies to increase plant and livestock productivity and maximize rainfall collection.

Source: IFAD