1. From Possession to Ownership Expanding the Access of Small-Scale Farmers to Land Ownership in Piauí, Brazil
José Osmar Alves (INTERPI)
Regina Lourdes (INTERPI)
Alzir Felippe Buffara Antunes (UFPR)
Camille Bourguignon (World Bank)

2. Outline Rural poverty and land tenure in Piauí
State Land Tenure Regularization Program
Land Tenure Regularization Process
Sample of processes
Case study of “Serra do Algodeiro”
Processing of the requests
The issue of State Land Registration
Conclusions and Recommendations

3. Rural poverty and land tenure in Piauí
Population of 3.2m
Area of 252,000 km2
Agrarian Structure
Prevalence of small-scale farming
90% of farms / Mostly subsistence farming
Rapidly growing agribusiness sector
Highly mechanized and productive
Widespread land tenure informality
State owns (or has claims over) millions of hectares
Occupation often informal
Land conflicts / Limited economic opportunities
One of the most impoverished states in Brazil
27.4 % live in poverty and 9.1 % in extreme poverty
One of the most unequal states in Brazil
Gini Coefficient of 0.57 (Brazil: 0.52)

4. Small-scale farming in the semi-arid region

5. Agribusiness in the Cerrado

6. State Land Tenure Regularization Program
A high priority of the State Government
On and off the development agenda since 1980
Law 4.678/1994
Revision of the legal framework
Law 6.127/2011
Law 6.709/2015
State Land Tenure Regularization program ( )
Designed and implemented by the INTERPI
Regularization through land grants (11,000 small-scale farmers)
Regularization through sale (4m hectares / BRL 1bn)
Modernization program for the INTERPI
Many challenges
Less than 4,000 titles issued over the last 5 years
Many farmers are on unregistered state land
Limited human and financial capacities within the INTERPI
History of lack of transparency

7. Land Tenure regularization process
Random selection of processes
Since 2010, INTERPI has received 10,000 requests
36 % full ownership requests
23 % Real Rights of Use requests
8% state land acquisition requests
4% regularization requests from “posseiros”
29% others (copy of title, transfer, surveying services …)
Regularization of 48ha lot in “Serra do Algodeiro”
Request filed in December 2012
Part of broader development program “Entre Rios”
Land Reform Settlement / On registered state land
Conversion Real Rights of Use to full ownership
No cost for beneficiaries
14 months from filing to decision to issue the title
Title delivery pending

8. Land Tenure regularization process
Selection of the adequate state land tenure regularization mechanisms (grants, sale …)
Submission of regularization requests by beneficiaries or decision by public authorities to regularize an area
Preparation of the Regularization requests
ID card, Proof of residence, CPF, Certified map, coordinates and memo; Proof of registration in the Environmental Rural Cadastre (CAR); Valid chain of ownership, etc.
Filing and processing by INTERPI
Verification that the applicant meets the requirements
If land grant: Less than 100 ha, cultivating the land for 5 years, etc
Process completed by director's approval
Title issuance and signing by State Governor
Title delivery
Title registration

9. The issue of State Land Registration
To be regularized, lots have to be on private land or on land registered under the name of the state
Large areas are “Terras Devolutas” i.e. land that has not been legally transferred from the state to third parties
More than 20 areas (450,000 ha) are being registered by the INTERPI and 19 areas contemplated for registration
INTERPI demarcates the area and invites those who claim to have legitimate rights to prove them
All these processes have been ongoing for more than 10 years and were at an impasse
New negotiation mechanisms introduced by law 6.709/2015

10. Registration of the Serra do Quilombo
Cerrado Piauiense
Initiated in 2002
150,000 ha
More than 200 claims
500 to 2500 ha
Full titles, temporary titles CDRUs, possessions …

11. Bom Jesus Agrarian Court

12. Conclusions and Recommendations
Regularization is once again a priority in Piauí
Legal framework in place and political will
Regularization mechanisms in place but implementation pace largely depends on the capacity of the INTERPI
Necessity to reform the INTERPI
Created in 1980 (law 3783 / 1980)
Some important achievements
174 land reform settlements since 1980s
Issuance of thousands of titles (full ownership, CDRUs…)
Also some strong criticisms
“One of the worst State Land Institute” (WB 1990)
“Responsible for the worsening of the agrarian structure” (CPI 1998)
“ benefits businesses and political groups …” (CPI 1998)
Mismatch between mandate and resources
Currently does not have the capacity to implement the State Land regulations program

13. Processing Regularization Requests

14. Conclusions and Recommendations
The success of the state land regularization program will largely depend on the capacity to reform the INTERPI
Staffing and equipment: e.g. need to increase the number of field teams from 2 to 10and need for additional lawyers;
Computerization: System for request management and digitalization of archives;
Cooperating with other key stakeholders such as State Secretary for Environment, INCRA, Notaries, NGOs…
Need for a strategic vision for the INTERPI
Could be highly profitable: INTERPI expects to be able to generate BRL1bn from sale of state land over the next 4 years;
Ensure that state land is sold at a fair price;
Possible promotion of alternative modes of production in the Cerrado (e.g. pilot highly productive family-scale farming)