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Engaged Opportunity Grants

Unearthing Sustainable Agroecological Practices in the Brazilian Semiarid

Articulating climate adapted farming practices of indigenous communities in the Caatinga biome

In rural northeastern Brazil, an ancient shrubland forest of the Caatinga biome exhibits over 9,000 years of climate adaptation to long periods of drought followed by intense rainfall. Like its forests, its indigenous communities practice resiliency through climate adapted farming practices. Here, non-adapted, water-intensive agriculture, amongst other forces, threatens regional desertification.

In this project, undergraduate interns will join an existing team of Cornell and Brazil-based researchers in an unprecedented participatory effort to articulate traditional agroecological practices of the São Francisco Valley Region terroir as a potential strategy against regional desertification. The resulting research product will emphasize the socio-ecological benefits of climate adapted farming practices across scales.

Topics: Access, Equity and Justice; Culture, Language and History; Energy, Environment and Sustainability; Food and Agriculture; Law, Government and Policy

The Team

  • Kenneth Roberts, Latin American Studies Program, Department of Government

    College of Arts and Sciences

  • Jamie Vanucchi, Department of Landscape Architecture

    College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

  • Alineaurea Florentino Silva, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation EMBRAPA Semi-arid Branch
  • Jihany Aly Hassun, Latin American Studies Program

    Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies

  • Community partner:  IRPAA, Regional Institute of Appropriate Small Agriculture
  • Community partner:  CoCitizens Lab
  • Latin American Studies Program, Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies

Engaged Opportunity Grants

Supporting a wide range of community-engaged learning projects, from student leadership programs and partnership building to events and conference travel. Open to all faculty and staff.

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