Nearly half of the wind energy parks in Rio Grande do Norte (RN) revolve around land reform settlements, according to an exclusive study by Brazil correspondent. Sector companies are seeking to expand their operations on these lands, which raises doubts about the impact on agricultural communities.
Rio Grande do Norte leads the national production of wind-generated energy. There are 386 parks in operation or under construction, 48% of which are less than 1.5 km from rural settlements.
This proximity not only changed the local landscape, but also exposed farmers adjacent to the wind farms to the noise of the huge towers and the dust caused by the intense flow of trucks. But now, the companies are targeting areas within the settlements.
This movement became more intense from 2022 onwards, after Standard Instruction No. 112 of INCRAA (National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform) came into force. The rule allows the agency to negotiate the use of plots of land for wind farms, in exchange for income projects for settlers.
The agreements could include land reform settlements – as long as there was Inkra approval – in addition to land already owned. In the latter case, negotiations take place directly with farmers, who have final ownership rights to the plot of land and are therefore no longer covered by agrarian reform policies.
For experts interviewed for the report, interest in wind farms in these areas represents a threat to rural jobs and food production in the region.
Researcher Mariana Tralde, from the Federal Institute of São Paulo (IF-SP), estimates that wind leases contradict the goal of agrarian reform, because they concentrate land in the hands of companies, at the expense of rural workers. “If the main goal of land reform is to democratize access to land, these contracts do the opposite,” he says.
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This new dynamic will have greater incentive if Congress passes Bill No. 3266/21, which has already been approved in the Senate. The text amends the Agrarian Reform Law and allows wind projects to occupy up to 30% of the settlement area, without the need for INCRA approval, as is the case today.
Cassio Carvalho, advisor to the Institute of Social and Economic Studies (Inesc), believes that the 30% limit is large and could “distort” the characteristics of agrarian reform, in addition to creating incentives for mass rural migration, especially in the semi-arid region.
Carvalho also warns that the new INCRA rule and potential legislative change could call into question Social Security benefits for settlers, who are considered “privately insured” by the National Social Security Institute.
“Rental agreements may end up jeopardizing their social security, as the privately insured land reformer will have another source of income, and the law makes it clear that this is not allowed,” says the National Institute of Statistics advisor.
In a statement, Inkra explained that the construction of towers in land reform settlements is subject to compliance with the law and a permit from the authority. The memorandum highlights that negotiations conducted directly with unregistered settlers “have no legal support.”
resistance
In the past two years since the Encra decision came into force, only two settlements have reached an agreement to lease land for wind farms: the Zombie settlement project in Rio do Fogo – the first of its kind in the country – and the Chico Mendes settlement project. In Taurus.
But there are also advanced conversations with other communities. In an attempt to convince farmers, companies provide support to obtain land ownership.
This is the case with the Canto da Ilha de Cima settlement project in São Miguel do Gostoso. Created in 1996, the community is going through a period of internal disagreements and pressure from companies to make room for wind turbines.
The landscape of the area began to change in 2010. “They destroyed many dunes and parts of the forest when they arrived here,” says Francisco Clemente Ferreira, one of the settlement’s founders, as he watches the towers installed on a nearby farm.
The farmer reported that the Morro dos Vientos wind park, currently controlled by the Surfing Group, arrived in the suburbs without much conversation with local communities, and began operations in 2014. The equipment was located about 200 meters from homes, worrying residents.
“We have neighbors who initially could not sleep because of the noise of the tower. There are nights when it is very noisy,” complains farmer Josava Antonio dos Santos, president of the settlement association.
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 initial offer was for each family to receive R$1,000 per year during the construction period. But the promise recently changed to R$1,200. “Even some of my teammates were enthusiastic. “But I wasn’t very supportive, because I think 100 R$ a month today is not even enough to pay for my energy.”
If the proposal is accepted, the community will have to stop producing cassava, cashews, maize, cabbage and chicken, among other crops and livestock. But the matter has not yet been decided and remains under discussion. Of the 89 families living in the community, 19 would be inclined to accept Nuenergia’s proposal, leaders say.
“These proposals don’t have a number. Payment depends on what the towers produce. But we don’t know how much that is.”
Francisco Clemente Ferreira, from the Canto da Ilha de Cima Settlement Project
The lack of trust makes sense. Farmers in Rio Grande do Norte are disappointed with the amounts paid by wind energy companies, it appears Brazil correspondent In the report “The Companions of the Wind”. Many workers do not understand the details of the agreements they sign, and in some cases, company promises are not kept.
“Rio Grande do Norte sells itself as a great energy powerhouse in the country. This is because it has implemented many wind farms in a completely unrestricted way. But what kind of example is this? Energy energy at any cost? At the expense of humanity really. “At the expense of humanity, really,” says Rafina Alves of CPT. “People and communities have been severely harmed in the process of implementing wind farms here in the state.”
Among Neoenergia’s promises to PA Canto da Ilha de Cima is ultimate ownership of the land. But the settlers are skeptical. “Incra is the one that gives the title, not the wind energy company. That doesn’t exist. How are you going to give me something you don’t have?” Ferreira asks.
The settlers say they tried to talk to Enkra and the company to make a decision. In October, they scheduled a meeting with all parties involved, but two days before the meeting, Neoenergia canceled the conversation.
Even without company representatives present, Enkra would have expressed concerns about the project, according to Santos. This is because settlers will lose access to the benefits of land reform – such as production credits and technical assistance, as well as private rural pensions – if they become landowners and enter into an agreement with the company.
“After we sign, they will be responsible,” predicted the association president. Enkra was asked about these negotiations but did not comment.
In a memo, Neoenergia said the final title award was Incra’s responsibility, not the company’s, but highlighted that Incra’s rules leave room for such negotiations. “The company’s principle is to maintain dialogue with all parties interested in sustainable development on the basis of the transition to clean, renewable and fair energy.” Read the full answer.
The wind is favourable
On the other hand, some settlers look favorably on offers from wind energy companies.
In PA Chico Mendes, in Touros, Casa dos Ventos also made the same proposal to facilitate obtaining the final title to the land, in 2011, when it signed the first contract with the farmers.
Although the promise was not included in the contract, farmer Lyricio Ribeiro, president of the local association, paid for trips by the company to São Paulo and Brasília to solve the encra titling problem.
Once the institute issued the domain right, in 2018, the company ensured that all documents were paid to the settlers. “The company paid all the claims that were on the title. He paid for everything, and he didn’t charge us anything,” says the farmer.
In a statement, Casa dos Vientos highlighted the importance of wind projects for the settlements, saying that they are a “harmonious” performance and that the publication of Inkra’s standard instructions is an example of the importance of these projects for the settlers.
Another settlement welcoming the arrival of wind farms is PA Brinco de Ouro. The site covers 2,655 hectares and is surrounded by wind farms. From any house you can see the electricity towers.
Farmer Severino Antonio da Silva believes that the creation of projects has led to the development of communities in the region, in addition to helping to restructure family income, as some continue to work on implementing gardens in other municipalities in Rio Grande do Norte and also from Ceará, Bahia and Santa Catarina. “Everything benefited the community.”
Silva is trying to create parks in the community area of the settlement. The projects did not take off due to the lack of a domain title that was granted in June this year. “Now we can negotiate,” he says.
For researcher Mariana Traldi, the weakness of the population and the absence of public policies led societies to accept less advantageous conditions in order to ensure their livelihood. “Life in the countryside is very difficult for these residents. It is completely understandable that, even when they are aware of low payments or abusive terms, they accept and sign contracts.”
For Silva, who is still in the negotiating phase, expectations are high. “Having a fixed salary would definitely improve a lot. The small farmer lives because he lives, right? He works here and there, but in agriculture in our area, it is not possible to support the family.”
