Centro de Agricultura Alternativa Vicente Nica – CAV
- Location
- Turmalina, Minas Gerais
- Backed in
- 2007
- Covered areas
- Human Rights and Civic Engagement
Feira Livre dos Agricultores Familiares
CAV was founded in 1994 to support local farmers and their families by encouraging alternative and sustainable farming practices. CAV develops programs in five different areas, covering 34 municipalities in the Jequitinhonha Valley. Receiving BrazilFoundation’s support was an important step for the Center, and helped it gain recognition as a leader in the movement for small farmers to establish local farmer’s markets.
The market is an important channel for selling goods, and leads to improvements in the lives of the farmers, while strengthening their ties to the land. As a result of BrazilFoundation’s support in 2007, the number of associated farmers increased from 35 to 76, then reaching 111, and the community investment fund grew to 6 times its previous size.