Fazenda Tamanduá is located close to the town of Patos, in the State of Paraíba, in the northeast of Brazil. The farm is named after an impressive rock formation “Serrote Tamanduá” which means ‘mountain of the anteater’. Because of the total hunting prohibition on the farm, anteaters still live in the area. Furthermore this area is also a wild life sanctuary, and consequently we have many varieties of birds and mammals here including deer and small wild cats like the margay.
The climate here is characteristic of tropical semi-arid regions with an average annual rainfall of 800 mm concentrated within a short period of 2 to 4 months, followed by a long dry period. Drought cycles hit this region periodically and contribute to poverty, migration from rural areas and violence. Global climatic changes have caused a noticeable reduction in rainfall in the last few years alternating with exceptionally very heavy rains.
Since 1977, when I moved here with my wife, Fazenda Tamanduá has worked hard to find solutions to hardships this particular region faces. We have put in place various programs for economic development  including the introduction of a herd of Brown Swiss cattle, one of the world’s oldest breeds.  Furthermore, as a second measure, we planted 30 hectares of grafted Tommy Atkins and Keitt mango trees. To ensure optimum use of the scarce water supply; a drip irrigation system was installed. The irrigation water is entirely dependent on rain collected in three interconnected reservoirs.

Today, we produce a wide range of products on the farm (all of which are Demeter certified) including cow cheeses as Coalho, Ricotta, tipo Saint Paulin and Reblochon, frozen nanny goat milk, red rice, mangoes, melons, watermelons and honey.

Interview with Pierre Landolt

N&M: It seems as if one of your main concerns, long before you started growing organically, has been the living situation of the people. Could you give some examples of what motivated you to get involved here?

Pierre: Since 1977, I decided to leave my life in Europe to live on the farm with my family. Not an easy decision, especially for my wife! I was convinced that the root of the widespread poverty in the region was partially due to the lack of access to new technologies. Everybody was struggling. We were trying to live with the climate and the droughts and were constantly seeking the best way to live and work in these tough conditions. Today, we are having a positive influence on the population in the region, we employ almost 150 people and more than 44 families are living on the farm. Now, migration is no longer the only option. 

N&M When did you switch to organic agriculture and why ?

Pierre:  In 1998, after another severe cycle of droughts, I noticed that local organic farms were more drought tolerant than their conventional counterparts. This intrigued me and I wanted to find out more. During my research, I was introduced to bio-dynamic agriculture and I was convinced that this way of farming came the closest to my ideal of a self reliant farm with integrated agricultural activities.

N&M: We can distinguish two different activities here at Fazenda Tamanduá, the commercial activities and the preservation of the area in the private nature reserve. How do you manage those two?

Pierre: The challenge of finding a balance between economic activity, preservation of nature and pleasant scenery inspires me every day.  One of the biggest concerns is the preservation of the fragile environment of the Sertão. We had to adapt a lot of traditional systems used here, dialogue with the sertanejos and vaqueiros in order to rediscover the traditional medicines used for the animals, and be as humble as possible to learn from them. We tested and introduced more resistant cultures such as sorghum. We are testing millet today. We tested and introduced a more resistant Gramineae, the buffel-grass, which maintains and improves pasture and reacts very well with the local leguminous plants. We began systematically using level curves in the fields. Through bringing more technology to the traditional activities of the region, we are working to increase the productivity in the area while preserving traditional crops. We started with combining cotton and cattle. Bringing in technology can help increase the farmers’ income. And with an increased income for the farmers in the area, their activities became strengthened and their livelihoods more secure. Actually we are testing the emulsificated oil of jatropha curcas, as an acaricide and insecticide, a drought tolerant plant regarded as a solution for production of biodiesel in arid regions. It seems promising!