Inspiring other young people to embrace climate-friendly farming

At just 19, Brazilian farmer Larissa Silva de Oliveira transformed her family’s struggling farm into a sustainable and profitable livelihood. Once ashamed of being a farmer, Larissa learned agroecological farming through courses offered by Centro Sabiá, a partner of terre des hommes schweiz. Her family now grows maize, beans, manioc and papayas, raises livestock, collects rainwater, avoids pesticides and burning, and even turns cow dung into fertilizer and biogas. “Today I’m proud of it because I’m my own boss,” she says.

Her success is part of a much larger effort. Centro Sabiá has advised more than 15,000 families and introduced over 1,000 agroforestry systems, combining crops, pasture, trees and shrubs to improve livelihoods while protecting nature. Research from the University of Pernambuco found that these systems can store substantially more CO₂ than traditional farming while increasing biodiversity, conserving soil moisture and making farms more resilient to climate change.

Larissa now hopes to inspire other young people to see agriculture differently. Calling herself an “agroecological multiplier,” she wants to share what she has learned so that more young farmers can build sustainable livelihoods, strengthen their communities and care for the environment at the same time.