NEPEAS - Núcleo de Estudo, Pesquisa e Extensão em Agroecologia e Sustentabilidade

The Núcleo de Estudo, Pesquisa e Extensão em Agroecologia e Sustentabilidade (NEPEAS) was established to develop educational, research, and extension initiatives aimed at strengthening agroecological transitions in communities surrounding the Federal District and Northeast Goiás.

Based at the Planaltina campus of the University of Brasília (FUP), NEPEAS emerged from an extension project that, through strategic efforts, enabled its institutional consolidation as an academic hub for research, teaching, and extension activities. These initiatives focus particularly on capacity-building for agrarian reform settlers and family farmers. The Center receives funding from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), which has been instrumental in expanding and enriching NEPEAS' efforts toward sustainable agriculture both within academia and in the fields of settlers and family producers.

Conventional agriculture remains a major contributor to environmental degradation, jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Addressing this urgent challenge, NEPEAS advocates for the adoption of agroecological production systems in rural settlements. These systems optimize the efficient use of natural resources—already scarce—especially given that a significant portion of Brazil's agricultural output comes from small-scale producers or family farmers.

In this context, NEPEAS works to build a collective awareness of sustainable rural development by implementing projects within settlements and with family farmers across the Federal District and its surroundings. Students and farmers have achieved significant progress in securing funding and resources to support their innovative agricultural practices and social movements. The strategies for achieving these goals are embedded in various projects under the NEPEAS umbrella, hosted at the UnB Planaltina campus.

Find out more at (in Portuguese)
https://nepeasunb.blogspot.com/

NEPEAS envisions a future where agroecology transforms rural communities into sustainable, self-reliant ecosystems that balance environmental health, social equity, and economic resilience. Its primary goal is to empower family farmers through education, participatory research, and technical training, enabling them to adopt agroecological practices and achieve autonomy in managing their production systems. By integrating traditional and scientific knowledge, NEPEAS fosters biodiversity, food sovereignty, and improved livelihoods, especially focusing on youth engagement and leadership in sustainable agriculture.

The group also seeks to expand its impact by building strong inter-institutional collaborations and influencing public policies to secure consistent funding for agroecological initiatives. NEPEAS aspires to become a leading reference in agroecology, sharing its methodologies and experiences locally and globally. It dreams of creating a vibrant network of farmers, researchers, and educators working collectively to advance agroecology as a solution to environmental and social challenges, ultimately improving the quality of life in rural communities.