Last updated: May 2025
The Fazenda Futuro project was created in 2010 by the State Secretariat of Justice of Rondônia, with the aim of reintegrating people deprived of their liberty through agricultural work and providing training to enable them to develop skills for entry into the labor market once they have served their sentence (2). Located on 309 hectares donated by the Union, near the Ênio Pinheiro Agricultural Penal Colony in Porto Velho, the project offers participants training in agriculture and practical experience in the cultivation of various food species (4). Since its inception, the project has worked with 81 people, offering them opportunities for income generation and sentence reduction (4). The farm's products have been distributed among public institutions, social entities and the participants themselves (3, 4). Although initially focused on donations, the project is exploring partnerships with the Community Council to market its products and generate income for future investments (3), as well as starting to generate products such as sweets and jams that can be marketed (3). Through work in the garden, participants and their families receive compensation through the Sejus prison fund and benefit from sentence reduction through labor relief, as stipulated by the Penal Enforcement Law. This provides them with practical agricultural experience, which enhances their employability (3, 5).
Beds in the garden
Jornal Inforodonia
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Allotments
Key challenges
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Employment/job creation
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Limited economic opportunities and local livelihoods
- Other
Key priorities
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments)
Project objectives
- To promote the resocialization of individuals deprived of liberty through training in agriculture and work on the farm, in addition to ensuring a reduction in their sentence (2)
- To promote the production of seedlings to strengthen agriculture (2)
- To create a resocialization model that is amplified throughout the territory (2)
- To offer the participants to acquire professional experience, technical knowledge, and obtain a diploma during their time in prison (3)
Implementation activities
Participants from the semi-open regime receive training and work in various activities related to agriculture, including seedling planting, irrigation, harvesting, and operating machinery (6).
Regarding fruit and vegetable production, a special focus has been on cultivating chestnut, banana, and cacao seedlings, among others, including collaboration with Inpa on a coffee project (1). Participants have also received training in crop management, maintenance, and value-added product production, such as sweets and jams made from harvested fruits (2, 3).
Environmental education courses have been conducted to raise awareness about the diverse wildlife found within the project's area (6). Future plans include building a chicken coop and constructing a septic tank for wastewater treatment, which can be used in agriculture (5).
Participants receive compensation through the prison fund and benefit from sentence reduction (4, 5).
Regarding the farm's infrastructure, the project has implemented hydroponic greenhouses for growing lettuce, cilantro, and arugula. Two artesian wells support fish tanks, and the administration has expanded electrical installations, nurseries, and planting areas (1).
They are also strengthening the production of cassava for flour on the farm, with the idea of building a flour mill that could become another source of professional knowledge for the participants (7)
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed), Other
- Other
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Public sector institution
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The farm was initiated and administered by the State Justice Department (1). The Mining Company, the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company (Emater), the Department of Highways, the Porto Velho Municipal Department of Agriculture and the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) are also collaborating on the project (1, 5)
The training sessions are the result of cooperation agreements between the State Secretariats for Agriculture (Seagri) and Justice (Sejus), Emater, the Rondônia State Institute for the Development of Vocational Education, and other public institutions (2, 3)
Daily activities are carried out under the supervision of five paid reserve police officers, a prison officer and a technician from the Municipal Entity for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (Emater) (5).
The farm has received donations from institutions such as Fazenda Bem-te-vi, and the Comité Ejecutivo Cacaocultor (1, 2)
NGOs and community organizations receive the production (6)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(The Penal Execution Law (Law 7.210/84) guarantees the right to rehabilitate and resocialize, by helping individuals deprived of liberty to recover, prepare and reintegrate into society through the labour market (4).)
... a local policy or strategy?
No
Type of enablers
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Other
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Donations
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of goods
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
- Increased presence and recovery of wild species
- Achieved increased presence and recovery of wild species
Economic impacts
- Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Achieved generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
- Achieved increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
- Generation of income from NBS
- Achieved generation of income from NBS
- Other
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Achieved increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Achieved increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Achieved increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Achieved increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Safety
- Decreased crime rates
- Expected decreased crime rates
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Cruz, M. (2018). 1-fazenda-futuro-revitaliza-areas-de-plantio-j-conclui-jardim-clonal-de-cacau-e-prepara-enxertos-em-porto-velho-tudo-rondonia-independente.pdf. Accessed on September 26, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Info Rodonia (2020). Vice-governador José Jodan visita instalações da Fazenda Futuro em Porto Velho. Accessed on September 26, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Mendonça, T. (2023). Reeducandos da Fazenda Futuro recebem capacitação para produção de doces e compotas. Accessed on September 26, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Junior, L. (2023). Com mão de obra reeducanda, Fazenda Futuro retoma produção em Porto Velho. Accessed on September 26, 2024,;
5.
Lima, V. (2017). 5-fazenda-futuro-j-em-porto-velho-j-recebe-investimentos-para-criacao-de-tambaqui-e-pirarucu-em-tanques-tudo-rondonia-independente.pdf. Accessed on September 26, 2024, [Source link];
6.
SEJUS - Secretaria de Estado da Justiça (n.d.). SEJUS - Secretaria de Estado da Justiça Facebook Page Posts. Accessed on September 26, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Farias, V. (2018). Com variedade de culturas, Fazenda Futuro, em Porto Velho, produz bons frutos e ressocialização. Accessed on September 27, 2024, [Source link];
Cocoa tree
Jeferson Mota
Pineapple crop in the farm
Ésio Mendes
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.