Valmir Noventa (MPA)
(See more from Valmir in Part 5)
Valmir Noventa is the state coordinator of the Movimento dos Pequenos Agricultores (MPA) in Espírito Santo. He is also a successful farmer using agroecology techniques growing pepper corns, fruits, vegetables, small animals and coffee. He also works on the Campanha Permanente Contra os Agrotóxicos e Pela Vida campaign and with La Via Campesina.
“The government of Espírito Santo is developing a program called ‘Water Producers’. They pay a small stipend for small, medium or large farmers (all the same) which preserve their water resources on their properties. What is the purpose behind this? The government wants to ensure quality water for residents of the Greater Victoria urban area. This program is being developed in the mountainous region of the state and that is where the rivers are concentrated which feed Greater Victoria, where most of the population live. But more than that, this program is to ensure water for large industry. This program has nothing to do with environmental restoration and strengthening farmers, it is rather to ensure water for big industry and for the urban population which is mostly middle and upper class. These are programs that do not meet our demands and are geared towards the economic interests of industry, not to the interests of the workers or for the people.”