This is the case with the Canto da Ilha de Cima settlement project in São Miguel do Gostoso. Three years ago, the families received an offer to lease the entire 2,238 hectares of the settlement to build a new park, which will be managed by Nuenergia.
Santos says the offer is for each family to receive R$1,200 per year during the construction period, then a portion related to energy production. “I wasn’t very much in favor of it, because now R$100 a month is enough for my energy,” he says.
Of the 89 families living in the community, 19 would be inclined to accept Nuenergia’s proposal, leaders say. If the proposal is accepted, the community will have to stop producing cassava, cashews, maize, cabbage and chicken, among other crops and livestock.
“These proposals don’t have a number. They pay based on what the towers produce. But we don’t know how much,” says Ferreira, recalling that one of Neoenergia’s promises is final ownership of the land. “Inkra gives the title, not the wind energy company,” the worker asks.
The lack of trust makes sense. Farmers in Rio Grande do Norte are disappointed with the amounts paid by wind energy companies, as a Reporter Brasil report published on December 6 showed.
Many workers do not understand the details of the agreements they sign, and in some cases, they say company promises are not kept.
