Brazil: Agrarian Reform, Climate Justice, Solidarity, and Food as a Right

The FAO estimates that food systems account for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, reinforcing the need to transform the agricultural model.

In Brazil, 76% of arable land remains concentrated in the hands of agribusiness, while family farming — responsible for more than 70% of food consumed domestically — continues to face limited access to land and resources.

Today, around 730 million people worldwide live with chronic hunger, and 2.8 billion cannot afford a nutritious diet. In Brazil, the situation is alarming: 64.2 million people experience some degree of food insecurity — roughly 30% of the population.

These figures reveal that the right to food — a constitutional and human right — is still violated daily. In this context, the the landless workers’ movement (MST) reaffirms its commitment to Popular Agrarian Reform and agroecological production as concrete paths toward social transformation. Popular Agrarian Reform, in its pursuit of social and land justice, proposes a reorganization of Brazil’s agri-food system — beginning with guaranteeing land to those who work and care for it.

The work of the MST are fundamental to ensuring access to healthy food and building food sovereignty in Brazil.

Leonardo Ghisolf, chef and president of the Curitiba Municipal Food and Nutrition Council (COMSEA).

The movement argues that access to land and the strengthening of family farming are fundamental pillars of food sovereignty. Across settlements and encampments, agroecological production has shown that it is possible to feed the people with quality food, while respecting nature and strengthening community bonds.

This cooperative production, in harmony with nature, represents a concrete path toward food sovereignty in the country.

Gabriel Francisco, nutritionist and member of the MST’s Production Sector in Paraná.

Over four decades of struggle, the MST has built a vast network for the production and distribution of organic food, proving that overcoming hunger depends on popular organization and valuing collective labor. Food grown on Agrarian Reform lands is a symbol of resistance and hope — a testament to a model of society that places life, not profit, at the center of decision-making.

Gabriel Francisco adds that Popular Agrarian Reform is also an essential tool for ensuring the human right to adequate food, noting that this principle is enshrined in the Constitution and aligned with Brazil’s Dietary Guidelines.

During the pandemic, the MST strengthened its practice of solidarity through initiatives such as Marmitas da Terra, Mãos Solidárias, and Cozinhas Solidárias — projects that united rural and urban workers. The organization of the working class around Marmitas da Terra is a beautiful example of how producing healthy food can be a powerful instrument in the fight for social justice.

By thinking about food production and having the MST supply the solidarity kitchens, the movement created a full cycle of real food — from planting to proper waste management. These acts of solidarity express the strength of popular organization and show that when people unite, it is possible to confront hunger with dignity. The collective kitchens, community drives, and food donations born of Agrarian Reform demonstrate in practice that feeding is a political act — and that sharing food is one of the deepest expressions of humanity.

Food, Spirituality, and Ancestry: Food as Sacred

In many cultures, eating is more than a physical need — it is an expression of spirituality, identity, and ancestry. In African-based religions, food is sacred: it connects the body to nature, symbolizes sharing, and strengthens the bond between the human and the divine. Preparing and offering food is an act of care and communion, reminding us that to nourish ourselves is also to honor the Earth and the cycles of life.

These ancestral knowledges, passed down through generations, teach us more balanced ways of relating to food and the environment. By valuing pesticide-free cultivation, the conscious use of natural resources and common goods, and collective food preparation, communities reaffirm that eating healthy is both a cultural and political act — deeply tied to the memory and resistance of the people.

We thank our ancestors and the African deities for providing sustainable resources in nature.

Fabiana das Graças Souza, Yalorixá of the Ilê Asé Alaketu Odé Arolegido temple and member of the MST Archive and Memory Sector.

Fabiana explains that inside an Axé kitchen, food is essential: it is first prepared and then offered, and when cooking for the Sacred, songs are included as prayers, bringing people closer to spirituality. She notes that this practice is the legacy of African ancestors, with the sacred foods of Axé carrying deep meaning as offerings to ancestral deities and shared among community members, emphasizing that without food, no species can exist.

Afro-Brazilian ancestry also inspires the MST’s mysticism and pedagogy, which understand cooking and sharing food as both political and spiritual practices. “To think about food, bring it into debate, into training, and into our mystique — that transforms people and brings them closer together,” reflects Leonardo Ghisolf.

The “Sem Terrinha” Journey and Children’s Relationship with Food

Among the many activities that strengthen this awareness is the Sem Terrinha Journey, held every year with the participation of thousands of children from settlements and encampments. Under the theme “Sem Terrinha in Action: Defending Nature is Defending Our Land,” this year’s journey encouraged learning about healthy eating, caring for the environment, and the role of children in continuing the struggle for Popular Agrarian Reform.

From an early age, they learn that planting and eating well are ways of caring for life and the planet — connecting children from rural and urban areas through agroecology and respect for the land.

In the Sem Terrinha Journey, the children are also teachers of connection with the Earth. It’s important to build this understanding for urban children, who are often deprived of this vital, formative relationship. Real food comes from the forest, from nature. The less we transform food, the more nutritious it remains. Rescuing our ancestry — the ways traditional peoples lived in harmony with the forests — shows us how we can produce with greater biodiversity. By raising awareness and bringing children closer to this reality, we help Sem Terrinha from both countryside and city meet and exchange knowledge about the importance of producing healthy food and agroecology

Carla Bueno, from the MST’s Production Sector.

According to the MST, the more biodiversity in the soil, the more biodiversity appears on the plate, and for traditional peoples and communities, ancestors are seen as the guardians of this wisdom. This approach to food serves as both political and environmental education, particularly for children.

Food, Environment, and COP 30

As the 2025 Sem Terrinha Journey has shown, to discuss food is to discuss the planet’s future.

Food cultivation is directly linked to environmental preservation, the rational use of water, and climate change mitigation.

As Brazil prepares to host the COP 30 in November 2025, it becomes urgent to place food production and agroecology at the center of global climate policy — recognizing the peoples of the countryside, waters, and forests as protagonists in the defense of land and life. In this sense, during the People’s Summit, which will take place alongside COP 30 in Belém this November, the MST will reaffirm its conviction that ecological transition must involve democratizing access to land and strengthening agroecology.

Agroecology is the way forward. Through it, we ensure health, sustainability, and the valuing of real food. When guided by Agrarian Reform, agroecology becomes a structural mechanism for guaranteeing rights. May this practice expand ever more — and may there be less and less poison on our plates! Food for the hungry, land for those who work it!

Leonardo Ghisolf, MST

The search for buen vivir — good living for all, with respect, care, and social justice — is one of the pillars of this construction. Economic viability and environmental preservation go hand in hand, showing that another model of rural development is possible.

Thus, 16th October – which is marked as the International Day of Action for Food Sovereignty of the Peoples – reaffirms that the fight against hunger, the valuing of ancestry, and the defense of the environment are all part of the same agenda: to guarantee the right to real food — grown with respect, shared in solidarity, and sustained by social justice. Eating well is a right — and a collective commitment to the present and the future of humanity.

Source: MST Website | Cover Image: Arquivo/MST