Brazilian towns advance coffee farming while activists warn of drone pesticide use

Municipal officials in Manhuaçu, Minas Gerais, held the third Municipal Conference on Food Security and Nutrition on 24 July, focusing on "Coffee and Sustenance" to promote diversified family farming beyond monoculture.

In Várzea Grande, Mato Grosso, the city government convened a second meeting on 28 July to plan a coffee production chain, aiming to diversify income for smallholders and link them to the MT Produtivo program backed by the Inter‑American Development Bank.

Meanwhile, Via Campesina organized a seminar in Governador Valadares, Minas Geras, highlighting the growing use of drones for aerial pesticide application. Activists reported incidents in Poté, Pavão, Governador Valadares and Jampruca, saying the unsupervised technology endangers about 150 families involved in agrarian reform, nearby organic farms and Atlantic Forest areas, and called for stricter regulation and health safeguards.