The Land Reform and Poverty Alleviation Project will benefit 15,000 poor farmers in the northeastern states of Brazil, who are currently without land or do not have enough land to provide for the subsistence needs of their families. If successful, the project will help the government to accelerate its land reform program. Another innovative decentralized feature of this pilot project is that local communities will also be responsible for identifying and implementing investments to develop their properties with the assistance of project funds. The problems associated with Brazil's land tenure are one of the most important issues affecting rural poverty in the country and receive attention at the highest level of the Brazilian government.
All arrangements are in place to begin implementing the project.
The project will be implemented with the assistance of the state governments of Bahia, Ceara, Maranho, Minas Gerais, and Pernambuco. The Office of the Minister of Agrarian Reforms of the Federal Government will retain the authority to approve the Annual Operating Plans and will be responsible for overall evaluation of the program. All funds should be disbursed in the next four years, the project closing date is June 30, 2001.