Throughout April, from the 1st to the 17th, the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST) is organizing its National Day of Struggle in Defense of Agrarian Reform, featuring large-scale mobilisations including marches, demonstrations, protests, training sessions, acts of solidarity, and land occupations. These actions aim to challenge land concentration across the country under the banner: “Occupy to Feed Brazil!”
Taking place across all major regions, this day also coincides with the 17th of April, the International Day of Struggle for Agrarian Reform. It serves as a solemn remembrance of the martyrs who lost their lives in the fight for land 29 years ago during the Eldorado do Carajás massacre in Pará. On that tragic day, 21 landless rural workers were killed by the Military Police, and 69 others were injured, while peacefully marching to demand agrarian reform.
These actions primarily focus on exposing the crimes and human rights violations committed by large landowners, agribusiness interests, and the State itself. They also underscore the critical role of Agrarian Reform as an urgent, structural solution to democratize land access in a country marked by one of the highest levels of land concentration globally, where less than 1% of rural landowners control nearly half of all rural land in Brazil. Ayala Ferreira, a leader from the MST’s Human Rights Sector, emphasizes that this unequal land distribution—where vast tracts are held by a few while many remain landless—is a colonial legacy that continues to be one of the most entrenched forms of structural violence in the country today.
“This situation persists in the Brazilian countryside due to the enduring alliance between large landowners and state security forces—a partnership that has remained intact over the years. The result is ongoing violence, with land conflicts and murders continuing to be a grim reality. Unfortunately, this trend is likely to persist, as Agrarian Reform remains a significant challenge in Brazil,” says the leader.
Data from the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT) shows a slight decrease in land conflicts in the first half of last year—872 incidents compared to 938 in the same period of 2023. However, the figures still paint a troubling picture, marked by high levels of violence. The majority of these conflicts were related to disputes over land occupation and possession (824 incidents), while 48 were linked to resistance actions, including occupations, repossessions, and encampments.
“Agribusiness represents physical violence—not just against landless people, but also against indigenous communities, quilombolas, and even against nature itself. It devastates the environment and fails to produce food for the population,” emphasises José Damasceno, a leader in the MST’s national leadership.
Over its 41-year history, the Movement has remained steadfast in organising and mobilising rural workers to expose this violence and advocate for public policies that promote land access, support the permanence of landless families in rural areas, and advance an agricultural model that prioritises the needs of the Brazilian people. This model is grounded in agroecology, fostering emancipatory relationships between people, nature, and natural resources.
“We need to bring Agrarian Reform back to the forefront of the political agenda—both in Brazilian society and within the federal government. The MST currently supports 100,000 families living in camps across Brazil. It’s imperative that the government takes concrete action to settle 65,000 families who have been living in these conditions for decades on an emergency basis. Additionally, we must secure land for all families registered with INCRA, which totals over 145,000 families nationwide,” José asserts.
This year, the Landless Workers aim to use the National Day of Struggle in Defense of Agrarian Reform to send a clear message to the Lula government: urgent and more decisive actions are needed to address the land agenda. They are calling for concrete measures to support peasant agriculture, positioning it as a vital part of a development strategy to combat poverty and inequality in Brazil.
Occupy to Feed Brazil!
Despite significant government efforts to revive policies aimed at combating food insecurity, Brazil remains on the global hunger map. According to the 2023 Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD), 64.2 million people in the country are living with severe hunger or food insecurity, underscoring the urgent need for long-term structural reforms to change this reality.
In response to the growing concerns among the working class about the rising cost of basic food items, the MST’s National Day of Struggle in Defence of Agrarian Reform focuses for the second consecutive year on land occupations aimed at producing food for the Brazilian population. This initiative seeks to strengthen the country’s food security and sovereignty through Agrarian Reform and the promotion of family farming—an essential source of Brazil’s domestic food supply.
“We aim to engage with society to demonstrate that Agrarian Reform can genuinely help reduce food prices, ensuring access to diverse, healthy food at fair costs. Moreover, providing people with decent living conditions in rural areas will strengthen alliances for a fairer, more democratic society that benefits everyone,” says Ayala.
In the current socio-economic context, the government has implemented short-term measures such as easing import restrictions and reducing taxes. However, the Movement argues that these actions are insufficient. The core issue isn’t food production but the monopolisation of trade by a handful of companies that manipulate food prices for profit, turning essential food items into commodities driven by capitalist market forces.
Unlike agribusiness, which prioritises commodity production over actual food, the MST advocates for land occupations as a sustainable solution to feed the nation. “It’s crucial to show society that Agrarian Reform is the answer to this crisis. It creates jobs, respects and preserves the environment, and produces healthy food at fair prices, ensuring that all Brazilians have access to the nourishment they need,” argues José Damasceno.
This article by Lays Furtado, edited by Priscila Ramos, is sourced from the MST’s website.