A Cooperativa de Assistência à Agricultura Familiar Sustentável do Piemonte (COFASPI)

The Piedmont Sustainable Family Agriculture Assistance Cooperative (COFASPI) is a social Entity whose objective is to provide family farmers with technical assistance in their agricultural activities, with the aim of promoting an economically viable, ecologically balanced, socially just agriculture. and culturally adapted, thus contributing to the sustainable development of the region where it operates.

In this way, COFASPI seeks to know the reality of each community, involving, for this, the three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, social and ecological. Through the execution of several projects and activities, Cofaspi makes a decisive contribution to the integration of such objectives with gender relations and the reality of rural youth, valuing, therefore, the culture and socioeconomic organization of the communities with which it works.

In other words, COFASPI works to build more critical and in-depth reflections on the existing dynamics in the social, cultural and economic reality of family farmers, providing subsidies for the construction of efficient and effective alternatives for the transformation of the limitations and potentialities detected and analyzed.

Statutorily, COFASPI operates throughout the Northeast region. However, it operates primarily in the Piemonte Territory of Diamantina (Bahia), more specifically in the municipalities of Umburanas, Ourolândia, Mirangaba, Saúde, Várzea Nova, Caém, Jacobina, Miguel Calmon and Serrolândia. In addition, the Entity develops work in some municipalities of the Piemonte Norte Territory of Itapicuru, through the More Water Project and P1+2, namely the cities of Filadélfia, Caldeirão Grande, São José, Ponto Novo and Pindobaçu.

By strengthening sectors of society previously excluded from the construction of public policies (such as women and young people), COFASPI is notable for highlighting the role of different social subjects in building a firm and lasting process of food and nutritional security for families. In this process, the work with women deserves to be highlighted, since they are primarily responsible for feeding the family and generally cultivate and raise food for internal consumption in their backyards.

In this way, adding environmental, social and ecological awareness to activities, COFASPI seeks to strengthen the family, men, women, young people and children, involving them in the entire productive and reproductive process, thus allowing a reflection on the importance of each one for the sustainability of the agroecosystem and the community, enabling the construction of alternatives based on the strengths and limitations of each group.