Initiative aims to promote social justice in the countryside and the inclusion of small producers in efforts to foster sustainable production, ensuring fair distribution of benefits
Given that weak land tenure affects various parts of Brazil, especially the Amazon, many farmers face challenges in legally registering their land ownership. This problem limits these people’s access to credit lines and government programs. In this context, the Vale Institute of Technology (ITV) recently launched an e-book called “Land Tenure Reform: A Practical Guide for Family Farmers.” The document addresses legal, environmental and social issues, offering practical guidelines for overcoming obstacles to land tenure reform in Brazil.
The book’s central themes include fundamental concepts of land tenure reform, such as possession, ownership and squatter’s rights. It also provides an explanation of the “social function” of land. The guide details available government schemes, such as the National Program to Strengthen Family Farming (PRONAF) and the National Land Credit Program, and the main institutions involved, such as the National Land Reform Agency (INCRA) and state land reform institutes. It also provides guidance on the importance of the Rural Environmental Registry and other essential measures for land tenure regularization.
Authored by Rosa de Nazaré Paes da Silva and Eymmy Gabrielly Rodrigues da Silva of ITV and Luly Rodrigues da Cunha Fischer of Pará Federal University, the document is written in straightforward language and has a practical focus. At the end of the e-book, you can view a “Guide to Rural Land Tenure Reform” – a flowchart that shows the step-by-step process for land tenure regularization.
“The e-book aims to contribute to access to the right to land and housing, promote social justice in rural areas, strengthen sustainable production and consolidate the social function of property. Through the guide, we hope to facilitate understanding of the requirements and steps necessary for land tenure regularization, reduce uncertainty and promote legal certainty for small rural producers,” explains Rosa Paes, one of the book’s authors and a researcher at ITV.
Download the e-book here.
Support for Vale’s 2030 Forest Goal
A partner of Fundo Vale in pursuing Vale’s 2030 Forest Goal, ITV has led efforts to promote research, with a key focus on studying the socioeconomic conditions of family farmers, particularly in cocoa farming. This material was developed to assist these small producers with land tenure regularization, an essential factor in enabling sustainable production models in the Amazon, promoting positive socioeconomic impacts in communities. These principles are fundamental to the actions linked to Vale’s voluntary target of restoring 100,000 hectares of habitat by 2030.