‘The population don’t understand how important family farming is,’ says coordinator of the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement

Brasil de Fato

On Thursday (25), the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST, in Portuguese) held a series of mobilizations across Brazil to mark Rural Workers’ Day and International Family Farming Day. The protests aimed to reaffirm agrarian reform as a fundamental policy to combat hunger.

The activities are part of the National Day of Action, which has been taking place since July 23 and runs until Saturday, July 27. Diego Moreira, a member of the national coordination of the MST’s production sector, talked about these events on the TV news show Central do Brasil.

“The day is taking place in several municipalities across the country and in capitals. We also take the agenda of a Desenrola Brasil program aimed at the countryside to the [Central] Bank of Brazil, city halls and city councils to solve the problem of indebtedness of settled families; make Pronaf [Brazil’s Program for Strengthening Family Farming] less bureaucratization, which has just been launched within the Harvest Plan, so that as many settled families as possible can have access to these fundings,” he explained.

“Today, the percentage of access [to these programs] is very small. There is a deficit of more than 100,000 houses to be built in the settlements, and more than 400,000 houses to be renovated. So housing is also a central issue,” said Diego.

According to the MST, there were occupations at the headquarters of the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra, in Portuguese) in Recife and also in Petrolina, both cities in the state of Pernambuco. In Caruaru, also in Pernambuco, around 200 landless workers occupied a branch of Banco do Nordeste. In Rio Grande do Sul, around 800 encampers demanded public policies for rural workers.

Encampers in Porto Alegre, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, during an activity that was part of the day, on Thursday (25) / Photo: Rafa Dotti/MST/RS

For Diego, the actions are also important to raise awareness of the contribution of family farming to society.

“Unfortunately, the population still doesn’t fully understand the importance of family farming in Brazil, which is what actually brings food to people’s tables,” he said.

“We from the MST, from popular movements in the countryside, are proposing to continue this important battle, which is the right to produce so that food reaches the tables of the Brazilian people more quickly and healthily. So let’s increase the level of awareness about these issues among Brazilians,” said the MST coordinator.

The full interview with reporter Luana Ibelli is available on the Thursday’s edition of Central do Brasil, on Brasil de Fato’s YouTube channel.

And there’s more!

July 25

This is also the International Day of Black Latin American and Caribbean Women. With the motto “For reparations and a good life”, women’s marches are taking place in at least seven Brazilian capital cities.

Left out

Russia is banned from the Paris Olympics because of the war with Ukraine. Belarus, Russia’s ally in the conflict, has also been sanctioned. The Kremlin criticizes the International Olympic Committee’s decision and speaks of discrimination based on nationality.

Central do Brasil is produced by Brasil de Fato. The program is broadcast live from Monday to Friday at 1 pm on Rede TVT and partner stations.