Agrofilm announces the FAO Osiris prize for film on smallholders overcoming adversity

In 1989, a disease outbreak left cocoa plants and production in Brazil’s eastern state, Bahia, fully devastated. The land became abandoned until a group of rural farmers, who used to work on those fields, saw the untapped potential and rehabilitated it. Today, the Brazilian short movie “Two rivers – Cocoa and Freedom” depicting the story of these self-empowering smallholder farmers, received FAO’s recognition at the Agrofilm International Film Festival.

The Osiris Prize was awarded to the directors, Fellipe Abreu, Patrícia Moll at the closing ceremony of the film festival, in Slovakia.

“Food production is redemption,” summarizes Mara Silva, an agroecological farmer. The film depicts the path from being seasonal agricultural workers to becoming self-sufficient farmers.

And not only do they enjoy the access to land and financial independence, but they also give back – to the community and to the environment as well. Farmers of the Dois Riachões [Two rivers] settlement are embracing all three pillars of sustainability – encompassing environmental, economic, and social aspects – while applying traditional farming methods and approaches that merge principles of agroforestry with protecting biodiversity and improving soil health.

Under the shade of native tree species, banana, jackfruit, and cocoa fruits are now being cultivated. Cocoa is also fermented by the farmers’ group and processed in partnership with a Brazilian chocolate factory, providing them an additional source of income.

The film also shows how this rural community is trying to ensure education is available to the younger generation in the village, so they can guarantee for themselves not only better nutrition and production, but also more control over their quality of life.  The ultimate aim of the Dois Riachões farmers is to leave a legacy of a better life for the next generation.

According to the latest FAO estimates, family farmers constitute the backbone of agricultural production globally. With over 608 million family farms around the world, they cultivate about 80 percent of the global farmland and produce around 80 percent of the world's food in value terms.

The contribution of these farmers of the Dois Riachões settlement to local food security is valuable, too, and stood the test of the COVID-19 pandemic, giving hope for the future generations.

This year, over 100 films from all around the world were submitted for the 38th Agrofilm Festival. Screenings took place in several cities across Slovakia, as well as online, accompanied by various side events, including lectures, discussion forums, an art exhibition, and farmer’s markets.

7 October 2022, Nitra, Slovakia