2008年-世界发展银行全球_Brazil_Land_-_Brazil_Land-Based_Poverty_Alleviation_Project_4页_890kb

Brazil Land-Based Poverty Alleviation Project Summary

Core Content

The Brazil Land-Based Poverty Alleviation Project is a large-scale initiative aimed at reducing rural poverty by improving access to land for the poor. It builds on two successful Bank-financed pilots, demonstrating the viability of a community-based approach to land reform. The project enables rural poor communities to directly negotiate with willing sellers for land acquisition, followed by financial and technical support to establish productive use of the land.

Main Objectives

• To provide land access to rural poor families.
• To enhance land productivity through on-farm investments.
• To support community-based land reform as a sustainable solution.
• To reduce asset inequality and improve rural living standards.

Key Features

• Community-based approach: Beneficiaries form community associations to select, negotiate, and manage land purchases and investments.
• Decentralized implementation: State agencies and financial institutions collaborate in administering the project.
• Flexible design: The program allows for midstream adjustments based on research and changing conditions.
• Financial support: A total project cost of €436.4 million, with the World Bank financing €218.2 million. Each family receives a financing package of around US $4,000, with additional settlement grants of $450 to support the first year.
• Complementary subprojects: Technical assistance and on-farm investments are provided to improve land productivity and sustainability.

Implementation and Results

• By mid-2007, the project had financed 2,366 land acquisition proposals, benefiting 44,522 families on approximately 835,000 hectares of land.
• The Northeast region, particularly Piaui and Maranhao, accounts for 48% of subprojects and 38% of beneficiaries.
• Additional 157 proposals were in the contracting phase, expected to benefit 2,944 families.
• 70% of these proposals were anticipated to be financed by end-2007, increasing the total number of beneficiaries to about 46,000.
• 34,300 on-farm investment subprojects were implemented by mid-2007, with a target of 36,000 by early 2008.
• 38,000 families were on waiting lists in the 14 participating states.

Impact and Outcomes

• Agricultural production on project-financed lands increased by 366% between 1998 and 2000, and 204% between 2000 and 2003.
• Real income of beneficiaries rose by 75% between 1998 and 2003, even in the face of drought and limited credit and technical assistance.
• Land prices under the project are significantly lower than those from expropriation, with Cedula da Terra lands costing 28% less per family than initial expropriation prices.
• The project emphasizes self-selection of beneficiaries and community-driven decisions, leading to higher sustainability and participation rates.

Challenges and Considerations

• Small land acquisitions: Most properties acquired are small, typically suitable for 15 to 30 families, which may limit the scale of investment.
• Community size: Groups with fewer than 10 families face challenges in forming effective associations, while groups over 50 families may be difficult to manage.
• Regional characteristics: The Northeast region has poor natural resources, periodic droughts, skewed land distribution, and weak rural financial markets, which necessitate targeted interventions.
• Special needs: A group of rural poor, including older individuals, widows, and those in resource-poor areas, may not benefit from standard strategies and require special safety nets.

Conclusion

The Brazil Land-Based Poverty Alleviation Project represents a successful model of community-based land reform, combining direct negotiation, financial support, and technical assistance to empower rural poor families. Its decentralized and flexible design has led to improved productivity, income, and land use efficiency, while also addressing the specific challenges of the Northeast region. The project continues to expand, with ongoing efforts to support more families and improve rural livelihoods through sustainable land use and investment.