Terra

Through his black and white photography, Sebastião Salgado records the testimony of the landless peasants (small farmers) of Brazil. He bears witness to their suffering but also to their dignified resistance.

In Brazil, the fight of the landless is a reaction to a situation which has no comparison in the world. In a country which is 16 times bigger than France, barely 1% of the landowners possess more than 43% of the land. At the other end of the social scale, 53% of small farmers possess less than 3% of the arable land, to which figure should be added 12 million landless.

Since 1984 the Movement of the Landless has been fighting for land redistribution, agrarian reform, and social development in Brazil. The Movement pursues a strategy of nonviolent resistance, based on negociation and social pressure. As a result, about 150,000 families have today regained land and dignity.

Terre des Hommes Suisse has supported this movement for many years and Salgado's photos are available on loan for public display. Teaching material prepared in collaboration with Terre des Hommes is also available. Thus, through photography, the “Terra” exhibition can be used to raise awareness among young people (15-20 yrs).