Agri­cultural Projects in Brazil

As early as 1975, we made our first contact with Father Hans Henning in Brazil. In Mato Grosso, our aim was to raise crop yields by modernising agriculture.

More than 30,000 settlers live in the catchment area of the town of Juscimeira, an area of some 5,000 square kilometres. On cleared rainforest soil along the great north-south highway, they try to build a modest agricultural living. But the soil is treacherous. It crusts over quickly, becoming ever harder to work, and crop yields fall sharply. With barely enough to live on, the settlers increasingly leave the land and move to the great cities of Brazil's east coast.

There they usually end up in the favelas, the shanty quarters on the fringes of those cities. Many fall into drug addiction. Preventing this is one of the tasks that the Henning brothers from Fulda have taken upon themselves; they also help those already addicted on their way back into society.

The long-serving project leader
Father Hans Henning (died 2010)

The Rexroth Foundation supported them in acquiring modern agricultural machinery, in building drying halls and storage facilities for rice and soya, and in obtaining seed and dairy cows.

At the suggestion of the Rexroth Foundation, a cooperative was set up which today has more than 1,500 members. The result: crop yields are rising, and 10,000 people now have work and food on the table.

In 1980 we succeeded in solving the problem of the lack of arable land for the younger generation. In negotiations with the government, the cooperative obtained around 23,000 hectares of land in the Ranchao area at no cost. One hundred and fifty families were settled there in three villages. Since then roads, houses and schools have been built, and some 1,000 people now live there.

Our investment has proved itself well placed. After several good harvests, the settlers were largely able to repay their loans to the cooperative, and today most are already standing on their own feet.

This project has been concluded. Total funding amounted to EUR 1.1 million.