Pioneering Work with Organic Cotton in Salgado de São Félix
Arriving at the PA Campos settlement in Salgado de São Félix-PB in 2005, João Lourenço and Beatriz Joaquina were about to see both their lives and the land undergo an incredible transformation. They saw potential in the 27 hectares of traditional crops: corn and beans, and a small livestock area of cattle and chickens. While hardly able to read, João’s intelligence as a farmer and sensitivity to the land is unmatched. Inspired to explore with this little plot, he began to research and experiment planting colored cotton seeds on the settlement. “I arrived here in 2005, and a few years later, I became curious about working with colored cotton. I went to Empaer (former Emater) to seek information, and with a technician, we went to Embrapa to search for seeds. That’s when I started planting cotton in 2014.”
This self-driven initiative by Mr. João sparked curiosity and inspiration in other families who eventually began cultivating the “new” crop on their own units. João do Algodão, as he came to be called by other farmers in the region, became a reference in the “color-grown cotton project,” which he speaks of with great pride and satisfaction. Working with a new crop in a new way, while having many benefits, was not without challenges. “We had many difficulties at the beginning. To tell the truth, it must be said, the difficulty was in transitioning from one system to another, from conventional to organic, because everything had to change.”
Mr. João Lourenço and Mrs. Beatriz Joaquina continued with traditional activities such as corn and bean cultivation and cattle raising, but also dedicated their time to the color-grown cotton project and breeding horses for family sport and leisure. “Everything here is organic. I completely abandoned pesticides and conventional work,” the farmer proudly asserts. The agroecological management of activities reflects on the quality of life, which is readily noticed by the family members. “Our health has improved by 100%. It’s really good to consume healthy food. Everything we produce here, we consume. Both us and the animals. It’s great to have clean beans and produce at home. It’s wonderful to have healthy fruit and vegetables because we produce them ourselves,”
Although the work is led by the couple, all family members are consulted on the management and activities of the farm. The family currently consists of four people: Mr. João, Mrs. Beatriz, a grandson, and a granddaughter. The parents (actually grandparents) include the grandchildren in decision making because they know that the property will eventually be in their hands, through the natural process of family succession. “Here, everyone gives an opinion, and we all work together. The kids work with us on the land when they’re not in school. We’re working to prepare the kids because this land will be theirs,” After the first year of experimentation and success, two more farmers decided to grow cotton the following year. In the third year, five more joined, totaling eight, and over the years, the group grew to 40 producers, cultivating cotton in an integrated manner.
The pair had already worked with conventional, white cotton farming before moving to the settlement, but they felt inspired to deviate from that. “From the beginning, I sought to work on cotton cultivation organically because I realized I had already worked a lot conventionally,” he states categorically. The agroecological colored cotton culture came to the family as an experimentation, but it is now an integral part of the farm and an important percentage of the family’s earnings, “Cotton is an important income for us. It’s an extra income, but it’s reliable.” The stability it provides is the reason behind the 10 uninterrupted years of regenerative color-grown cotton cultivation.
And now the trust and commitment between Organic Cotton Colours and the producers is another reason behind the project’s longevity, cites the family. “From the beginning, the company was very fair with us. During this time, many people wanted to break our partnership, but we remained firm. They have a lot of trust in us, and we trust them too. They’ve never let us down.” The assistance received from OCC during these 10 years of partnership has also built up the family’s self-esteem, in the words of Mr. João Lourenço, who highlights: “Through this work, it was possible to reach many places. We have a reputation for being the first. We receive many visits from people from various places interested in learning about our work, and we also go to various parts of Brazil to talk about our experience and learn as well.”
