My name is Alan Kilson. I am twenty-one years old and I am a young farmer. My reality was to leave and go to the city in search of my autonomy. But this changed when in 2001 with the introduction of a campaign to strengthen family agriculture, in which we would learn about agriculture and how to care for Nature.

By 2010 it was possible to notice how much we had progressed. And then came the First Youth Encounter, and we began to organise ourselves and were able to form a youth commission. In 2013 we were strengthened by the seeds of knowledge that were sown with the Solidarity Rotative Fund, the Seedling Nursery Kits and the Apiculture Kits.

We began to exercise our newly acquired autonomy, being able to sell our sheep and hens. Formerly we were only in the fields, but now we can be seen at the agro-ecological fairs. We have learned that in preparing the soil for planting there is no need to clear the land, as our ancestors did. We are young farmers who are defending agroecology, native seeds and our own autonomy.

We are the youth from Polo da Borborema

Translation by: Michael Mc.