Where drought strikes, the land endures: Xakriabá people cultivate food and hope in Northern Minas Gerais.

Under the scorching sun and dry land of Northern Minas Gerais, the Xakriabá communityof the Barra do Sumaré Village has found a way to grow food, autonomy, and resilience. With the project“Cultivating Food in Extreme Drought,”the Xakriabá Barra do Sumaré Indigenous Association

has developed sustainable and socioeconomic production alternatives that guarantee the right to food and water for the 129 families in the village, especially the most vulnerable.With the installation of an irrigation system and the strengthening of family farming,

the initiative promotes the rotational use of land with crops such as corn, beans, and vegetables. Traditional knowledge goes hand in hand with modern soil management techniques and the conscious use of water. The surplus production is sold, boosting the local economy and creating new opportunities for indigenous youth.

In the municipality of São João das Missões (MG), where the Xakriabá Indigenous Territory with its 35 villages is located, the impact of the climate crisis is intense: prolonged droughts and high temperatures make each planting a challenge and each harvest an achievement. The lack of water for human consumption and agricultural production intensifies the risks to health and food security, especially in communities like Barra do Sumaré, with 645 people.

The experience, however, is already inspiring other villages in the Xakriabá Indigenous Land to adopt more sustainable planting practices, to care for natural resources, and to rebuild, with their own hands, the ways of life in the face of environmental collapse.“The project is already bringing changes that encourage all the villages in the territory to adopt good agricultural and environmental practices. We will finally move away from consuming genetically modified products, benefiting the health of our community. We want to thank the Brazil Fund for its support,” says Lourisvaldo Ferreira, coordinator of the Association.The project is supported by the call for proposals “Indigenous Peoples Fighting for Climate Justice,” from the “Raízes – Climate Justice Fund for Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities,” promoted by the Brazil Fund for Human Rights. Investing in initiatives like this is investing in climate justice with roots firmly planted in the territory, led by those who live and resist there daily.justiça climática com raízes firmadas no território, lideradas por quem vive e resiste nele diariamente.