Climate change threatens agriculture in Brazil's quilombola territories

The rural quilombola community of Nova Esperança in Baraúna, Rio Grande do Norte, home to about 70 families, is facing increasingly frequent droughts and heavy rains that have reduced the harvest of guava and other fruits and vegetables. Community leader Sueli Bessa highlighted that “Quando chove forte lá, é horrível.”

Women from the community are participating in the national quilombola women’s meeting in Gama, Federal District, where President Luiz Inácio Lula listened to their climate‑justice concerns. The National Coordination of Rural Black Communities (Conaq) used the event to launch the book *Vozes quilombolas: mulheres em defesa do clima*, which documents environmental impacts of large projects on quilombola lands, records testimonies of women, and proposes strategies for territorial monitoring and conservation.

Because of the climate extremes, some families have abandoned subsistence farming and taken industrial jobs over 20 km away. The community also lacks basic infrastructure such as paved roads, regular water supply, and postal codes, forcing many to rely on a single artesian well. Sueli hopes to finish high school and study nursing or law to help her community. The book also notes increased violence against women linked to encroaching developments and offers community‑driven solutions.