Brazilian quilombola communities face crop loss as climate change intensifies

Climate change is increasing the frequency of severe droughts and intense rains across Brazil’s quilombola territories, undermining the cultivation of fruits, vegetables and traditional crops. In Nova Esperança (Baraúna, RN) farmer Sueli Bessa reports that goiaba and other fruit yields have dropped, while communities in Mesquita (Cidade Ocidental, GO) see marmelo harvests shrink and the beiju‑producing village of Divino Espírito Santo (São Mateus, ES) records reduced manioc output. The hardships have forced some of the 70 families in Nova Esperança and others to abandon family farming for jobs in nearby factories, often more than 20 km away.

The national meeting of quilombola women in Gama (DF), attended by President Lula, highlighted climate justice as a central theme. The Coordination Nacional de Articulação das Comunidades Negras Rurais Quilombolas (CONAQ) launched the book “Vozes quilombolas: mulheres em defesa do clima,” documenting the impacts of large‑scale wind farms, oil and mining projects, and soy monocultures on these lands. Agronomist Fran Paula stressed that “there is no climate justice without guaranteed territory and official land title,” urging faster regularisation of quilombola territories to protect their livelihoods and cultural identity.