“I do not know why it took me so long to make this change: I cannot imagine a diet without greens nowadays”.

Raimundo Nonato, a family farmer from the Saco dos Henriques Community, stopped using traditional farming methods (burning, chemical pesticides) to start producing organic vegetables with the help of technicians from CECOR.

Today Sr. Raimundo is known as a reference in organic horticulture in the region and he receives visits from farmers from other municipalities. He is known principally for the diversity of his products that include lettuce, spring onions, coriander, aubergines, okra, peppers, passion fruit, bananas, pumpkin, corn, beans, rocket, papaya, cucumber and manioc.

In the Vila Canaã School in the municipality of Triunfo, organically produced fruit and vegetables are used in the preparation of meals for students

According to the headmaster, Romárico Elias, “organic products improve the quality of food eaten by students because, as we all know, State schools normally serve a lot of tinned foods that are not very healthy. The fruit and vegetables that we use contribute to a healthier diet”.

Dona Maria, 66 –Oiticica Community, Triunfo

“I have participated in the market since the first day. The market is very important for me as I enjoy working in the fields. Many things have improved in my life, we bring the produce when it is needed and sell it. This has helped me enormously.
This way of growing food is very important for our health because we know what we are eating and that it does not contain poisonous pesticides. I invest in the production mainly through buying seeds to plant.
As well as this I have fruit and vegetables for my family. We do not need to buy them any more”.

Gildete, 16 - Oiticica Community, Triunfo

“The market is good because we do not need to rely only on what our parents can give us. We can now plan how to spend our money without depending on our parents. This makes us stronger. I feel more powerful.
The market has not only improved our financial situation but has also helped us to change our way of thinking, to live without using chemical pesticides. We have a healthier lifestyle nowadays and eat more fruit and vegetables than previously”.

Testimonials from participants in the Serra Talhada agro-ecological market

The story of 53 year old Sr. Francisco is similar to that of many other family farmers who have started to grow organic produce without using chemical pesticides, and who have subsequently found a source of income selling this produce at the agroecological market in Serra Talhada.

“I began planting organic vegetables when I was unemployed. Then I started coming to the market to sell the produce, which led to me increasing the area that I planted. Nowadays I do not have problems in feeding my family. The money that I make covers all the costs of my family and is my highest source of income”.

31 year old Cilene, a family farmer from the Poço do Serrote Settlement in Serra Talhada, thinks that it is important to not only sell the organic food that she grows, but to eat it as well. This is her testimony: “I think that farming without chemical pesticides is not only good for the people who buy the products but also for us who consume the produce at home. I use these products daily and I like them because I know that they are of excellent quality. My family is eating healthy food”.

She emphasizes the importance of the agro-ecological farmer being able to sell directly at the market. “I take cheese, milk and products from my vegetable garden and sell it all there. I used to sell my cheese to a middleman for half the price, now the money I sell it for is all for me. The market is excellent!”

18 year old Cleide highlights the interaction between those who sell and those who buy in the agro-ecological markets. “At a conventional market you ask the price of a product, pay for it and leave. Things are different here – you can talk to the shoppers, exchange ideas… sometimes I even talk to them about what has happened during the week! This is what makes me want to continue working in the market”.