Activities

Based in Recife, Pernambuco, Centro Sabiá is dedicated to promoting agroecologically-based family farming in coexistence with the semi-arid region. The organization seeks to mitigate food and nutritional insecurity, which affects approximately 64 million people in Brazil, including vulnerable communities, women, and the rural population of Pernambuco. It works to transform backyards into productive agroforests, fostering local production and coordinating public policies. The organization aims to ensure food security, increase family income, and improve the quality of life of beneficiaries in harmony with the semi-arid region.

History

Centro Sabiá was founded in 1993 by researchers from Pernambuco and has now completed 32 years of operation. The organization was created with the purpose of defending a new production model, based on family farming and collaboration with social movements. Its origins are linked to neighborhood organizations and social movements, with community management through Associate Assemblies. Since its founding, Centro Sabiá has promoted agroecology in more than 50 municipalities in Pernambuco.

Impact

Centro Sabiá's agroecological backyards have a positive impact on food and nutritional security, contributing 28% of families' daily diets. They promote improved diet quality and household food resilience. They also provide supplementary income, with the sale of surplus produce increasing family income by up to 25% of the minimum wage. The model strengthens the autonomy of women and their communities, representing a low-cost, high-impact social technology for building more sustainable and healthy territories. An investment of US$545 prevents the loss of one year of healthy life due to food insecurity.

Transparency

Centro Sabiá demonstrates transparency by keeping its social media channels frequently updated and producing regular video and podcast content. The organization has conducted audits over the past five years (reports of which are readily available on its website) and demonstrates its readiness for further evaluations.

The intervention selected by doebem

Centro Sabiá's selected intervention is the "Agroecological Backyards" program, which is part of the "Real Food Transforms" strategic project. This modular program aims to transform backyards into productive agroforests, focusing on women-led units. The goal is to promote horticulture and livestock production in harmony with the semi-arid region, striving for food security. Actions include mapping vulnerable communities and assessing their needs, supporting the self-organization of women farmers, fostering production (with seeds and seedlings), and coordinating with public policies, such as the Cisterns Program. It also promotes socio-environmental education for an agroecological transition that encompasses gender and racial equality. The cost to implement and monitor a backyard for five years for a family is US$1,870.00, benefiting four people per unit, on average. Production covers, on average, 28% of the families' daily diet.

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