Learn about the history of the ‘Terra Prometida’ settlement, how they live, and a bit about their routine and purpose
Check out the interview with Claudio Amaro, a farmer, journalist, and one of the settlers' leaders
The settlement was founded in Miguel Pereira and was later moved to Santa Cruz, R.J. It relocated to Nova Iguaçu in 2006 with the intent of occupying three farms. They occupied two of them, and a group was relocated to Duque de Caxias; both are in the Rio municipality. The Terra Prometida colony now contains 58 families, 48 in Duque de Caxias and 11 in Nova Iguaçu.
Claudio Amaro is a farmer, a journalist, and one of the settler’s leaders for the past 22 years. He claims he quit his job to work on the land, cultivate and eat healthy quality food, as well as supply it to society, and, most importantly, live in peace.
Interview
Neuza Nascimento: What is the purpose of occupying land?
Amaro: The land serves a social function that must be fulfilled. The site has been used for real estate speculation over the years. Many landowners and farmers forsake their estates to profit from the market, while many people are hungry, want to work, and have no place to plant.
What did we do and are still doing? We enter this unproductive social landscape and place people who want and need to work. The owner has the right to the land but does not actually own it; the land is registered with the notary but is not used. It exists solely to speculate, awaiting market appreciation before we inhabit that place. That is what occupation means, and the mainstream media refers to it as an invasion, which it is not. We are occupying an unoccupied place.
Walking around Rio de Janeiro, you will notice many abandoned areas that are only beneficial for the real estate market and not for households. The occupation of unproductive land is performed by Sem Terra, whereas the occupation of buildings is performed by Sem Teto, although the dynamics are the same.
The settlement survives on organic agriculture through door-to-door sales, custom made baskets, and the commerce of these goods in open markets with the help of middlemen. Producers are separated into groups, and each group decides on the most effective marketing plan.
These groups were formed so that the community could consider the best approach to sell the agricultural products we produce, as we realised that being in the fields planting and selling at the same time is extremely difficult.
Neuza Nascimento: Can you make a living from organic agriculture?
Amaro: To remain on the land, we need the DAP, or Document Declaration of Aptitude for Agriculture, and in order to receive this document, 70% of each settler’s income must come from agriculture; unfortunately, many do not always succeed. In times of drought or flood, scarcity is severe, and many people are forced to take on the infamous “odd job” (informal labour), yet agriculture is our main source of income.
Amaro discusses the difficulties of the Terra Prometida settlement
“We are facing various obstacles, one of which is marketing, because we do not have adequate roads for consumers to get here, and even for us to go to them, the difficulty is quite big.” We have elderly folks like Marlene, 66, and Tiozinho, 76, who struggle to sell their wares since no automobile or cart comes to their residence. If we do not assist, the situation grows more problematic for them and others.
Our access to public transportation is about a half-hour drive from the settlement. We have a buying public, but getting our items to them is a challenge. Despite numerous discussions with the state, we have unable to convince them to accept our demand for road improvements.” As we are practically isolated, it would be ideal if there was also a bus service that could reach us.”
Amaro calculates that driving from the final bus station in Amapá’s Duque de Caxias area to the village takes roughly 20 minutes on average if it is not raining. It takes about 30 minutes by waggon. However, he claims that it is the rides that ease the problem, and that the people who have settled here are quite supportive.
Hopeful prospects
Despite the difficulties, Amaro expresses how pleasant it is to live in the settlement. “One of the wonderful aspects of the settlement is the coexistence; here, we regard everyone as siblings, there is no mistrust, and we have the privilege of eating what we grow.”
In 2020, 78 tonnes of organic items were sold, with 10,400 baskets provided at a cheap cost to the Movimenta Caxias institution and then distributed to poor individuals. From November 2021 to November 2021, 145 tonnes were sold, and 47 households from the settlement and its surrounds were part in the process.
A little more about the settlers
Daniel Vieira Junior arrived in the settlement 21 years ago. He talks about his time in the Terra Prometida settlement.
He is in charge of organising the disposal and sale of local agricultural produce, as well as one of the commercialization fronts known as Rede Ecológica, a group of consumers from several Rio and Grande Rio neighbourhoods. This organisation promotes farmers to plant and produce products collectively. He works three days a week and organises the sale of goods not just from the village but also from other producers in the surrounding area.
“Since I got here, I’ve begun to study and look at things differently, with a more critical eye.” Coletivo Terra, a cooperative founded by producers who produce and sell in collaboration with society, is based within the town. “Without this articulation, we will plant, and the product of that planting will spoil. The countryside and city must always work together, for if the farmland does not plant, the city does not eat.”
The Terra Prometida settlement cultivates a wide range of crops, including beans, cassava, fruits, vegetables, medicinal herbs, and others.
The biggest challenge that the settlers encounter is flooding, which requires them to labour within a production window, and because most areas always flood in November, December, and January, they can only produce from March to October.
Daniel maintains that the settlement is significant to him because it represents the continuity of the fight for the land, which has always existed and is used to grow nutritious food free of toxicity.
Erlei Rodrigo, popularly known as Tiozinho, a 76-year-old settler in Terra Prometida, describes his feelings about his home. “Come here, cut a bunch of bananas, pick lemons and oranges, and there’s coconut that I planted myself and am now harvesting; the sacrifice is huge, but we keep going.” It would be great if they could fix the road, which is our main issue. But I’m glad to be here; everyone is working to achieve the same goal of planting.” In 2002, I arrived here. I come from the Rio municipality of Santo Antônio de Pádua.
But it’s not over yet! The Terra Prometida settlement also has a space where herbal products are made!
Daniel talks about “Cantinho Fitoterápico”
“Today, industrialised medicines are quite expensive, and it is necessary for our community to consider the option of herbal medicines to boost health and avoid disease.” We place a high importance on the home remedies we make from the medicinal plants we grow. Soaps, shampoos, facial and foot treatments, “Miraculous Ointment,” healing creams, and other products are made and sold by us. “We also practise acupuncture, massage, and shiatsu. These are cultures that we cherish and use here.”
Everyone who wishes to visit the Terra Prometida settlement is welcomed. It’s a fantastic initiative, and you can get in touch with them via social media.
How to acquire settlement products
The following are the Rio de Janeiro shopping channels:
Feira da Agricultura Familiar, Tuesdays, Praça Roberto da Silveira, downtown Duque de Caxias; Feira da Roça, Wednesdays and Fridays, Praça Rui Barbosa, Nova Iguaçu; eira Regional da Reforma Agrária Padre Geraldo de Lima, online.
Orders can be placed online from Monday to Wednesday and delivered on Fridays.
