Plotting Progress in Brazil

Agência Mandalla is helping Brazilian farmers make the most of small plots of land with minimal access to water and transforming the way they farm and support their families.

Founded by Ashoka Fellow Willy Pessoa in 2003, Agência Mandalla is able to assist farmers in growing organic food, earning a decent income, and giving back to the environment. The solution lies in a series of agricultural plots that combine to form a "mandala,” a farming technique that combines traditional and scientific knowledge.

Agência Mandalla is a winner of the 2009 Cultivating Innovation: Solutions for Rural Communities collaborative competition, and plans to expand its education initiatives and institute a Mandalla brand of fair trade products.

"Changemakers will provide us visibility at a global level, expanding the work developed by Mandalla," says executive director Tárcio Handel da Silva. "We believe that the global community, investors, and social organizations can open several connections to future collaborations, which will help to scale up Agência Mandalla's methodology worldwide."

Congratulations to Tárcio Handel da Silva, Willy Pessoa, and Agência Mandalla on their remarkable innovation! Learn more about the winners and finalists changing lives through agricultural innovations.