Planting trees to boost food sovereignty and livelihoods in rural Brazil

Matheus Italiano, our regional coordinator in Brazil, returns with a wonderful tree-planting story for us.

We were recently contacted by Matheus saying he was using his birthday to raise the necessary funds for a tree-planting activity in a rural community in Cachoeira de Cima, Brazil.

Matheus, his friends, and family were able to raise 700 Brazillian Reais (over 130 US Dollars) which were donated to an agroforestry community called Filhos da Terra em Equilibrio com a Mata Atlantica or simply Filhos da Terra (“Sons and daughters of the Earth”, in English). This community is made up of 20 families who depend on an agroforestry system managed by them.

Agroforestry is a land use management system that prioritizes diversity over monoculture, by integrating trees with crops and/or pasture. Ultimately, it combines forestry and agricultural techniques.

This is a basic agroforestry scheme where annual crops are planted with fruit or nut trees in alternate rows.

Matheus tells us, “We planted 62 fruit trees, 54 of which within the agroforestry area; the remaining 8 were planted in the garden of one of the community members.

These plants will not only help the planet but also the people living in this community. The community is one among many in Brazil that demand agrarian reform and are a part of the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST).

Matheus continues by saying, “I hope this planting inspires more people to plant and to use their birthdays for planting. I dedicate it to the happiness of all beings. May we live on a planet where there is no lack of food and living conditions for anyone. May this be the cause of relative and ultimate happiness.”

Thank you so much for sharing your story and for assisting this local Brazillian community. We look forward to hearing more from you and your tree-planting activities.