Was wir tun HEKS
Christian Bobst
What we do

Our projects

HEKS/EPER is making a difference in the «Development of rural communities» in Brazil

There are extreme social and economic disparities in Brazil. Some 60% of the rural population live below the poverty line. Unfair land distribution is one of the reasons for this. Roughly 4.8 million Brazilian families are landless, while some 4 000 large landowners possess over 85 million hectares of land. Families who have lived for generations on their land, though most of them without land titles, are systematically expelled to make way for large soya, sugar cane and eucalyptus plantations and for extensive cattle farming. Brazil's biodiversity is under severe threat and social problems have become exacerbated. HEKS/EPER helps improve the food security and incomes of the rural population and supports the building of a strong civil society.

HEKS/EPER in Brazil


Brazil was hit hard by Covid-19 in 2020. HEKS/EPER assisted 16 000 people with supplies of food, toiletries and through access to clean water.
In the Cerrado, the roughly 10 000-strong community of flower gatherers was designated a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in connection with the sustainable management of its approximately 100 000 hectares of land. This designation paves the way for the land to be better protected from land grabbing and overexploitation in the future.

HEKS/EPER strengthens civil society communities and promotes peaceful coexistence among them, supports them in gaining access to land and natural resources and helps them build up sustainable agricultural production and suitable markets. HEKS/EPER also strives to ensure that rural communities and their members enjoy equal rights and a secure livelihood.