From 17 November to 3 December 2021, the Avaclim project coordinator at CARI, Sara Moyret, carried out a mission to Brazil. This mission was carried out with the support of Paulo Pedro de Carvalho, who works in Caatinga, the Brazilian partner organisation of the project, and the active participation of the existing network of NGOs and different networks (IRPAA, ASA, Sabia Centre), universities (UFRPE) and many communities and farmers.

The main objective was to foster mutual knowledge between CARI and Caatinga, in addition to following up on the different activities underway: the animation of the community of practice, the evaluation of 2 of the 4 initiatives under evaluation, the preparation of future advocacy activities for the year 2022 and the communication tools to be developed.

Thus, the mission allowed, between time of exchanges with Caatinga, visits of initiatives and meetings of partners:

• obtaining the signature of the partnership agreement with the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco for the implementation of evaluations;
• identifying the specificities of the 2 initiatives evaluated (ECOARARIPE and Recaatingamento);
• the preparation of a draft report on the first stages of the evaluation and a draft protocol for the implementation of stage 4;
• to set in motion the preparation of a policy agenda for the year 2022;
• to accompany the preparation of films to be made in Brazil and a booklet presenting the initiatives characterised.

In addition to these activities, which help to accompany the implementation of the project, it is clear that agroecology in the Brazilian Northeast has a long history; it originated in social movements and struggles for social agrarian reform. Due to the network of mutual support between the many local and regional institutions, there is already a strong community of practice that allows for a great deal of knowledge sharing and preparation of advocacy activities for the year 2022. Thanks to the involvement of feminist activists, such as Professor Laeticia Jalil, the role of women in agroecology is now on the agenda of the international exchanges organised within the project.

"It is also seen as a new paradigm for thinking about development, taking into account the diversity of subjects (human and non-human) directly involved in this process, such as women, youth, traditional peoples and communities, original peoples, animals and nature. " Laeticia Jalil

Photo credits: Sara Moyret