August 1, 2026.
The presidential decree brings an end to 24 years of resistance by the MST in the capital of São Paulo, paving the way for the official settlement.
The Brazilian government signs the expropriation of the Irmã Alberta Commune to ratify the right to the land in São Paulo. Photo: Brasil de fato.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed the land expropriation decree that declares the land occupied by the Irmã Alberta Land Commune in São Paulo to be in the public interest. The government measure, made official through the Official Gazette of the Union, grants land title to advance the agrarian reform policy and resolve a dispute that has lasted for more than two decades.
The administrative decision directly benefits dozens of families affiliated with the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST) who have lived on the property since 2002. The National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform will undertake the necessary legal procedures to incorporate the 100-hectare plot into the public estate, beginning the process of providing housing, productive loans, and basic services to the residents.
Located in the northwestern part of the capital, the Irmã Alberta Commune transformed an area originally designated as a landfill into a pesticide-free agroecological model. The production of healthy food in the area regularly supplies community markets and local food banks, consolidating a space for environmental preservation on the outskirts of the city.
Leaders of the peasant movement described the official decree as a historic achievement following more than 20 years of social mobilizations and legal challenges against eviction attempts. The organized families paid tribute to the activists who died during the collective resistance and to Sister Alberta Girardi, an iconic figure of the Pastoral Land Commission who supported the process from its inception.
Analysts of land policy in Latin America highlight that the preservation of peri-urban lands for family farming combats real estate speculation and strengthens food sovereignty in large metropolitan areas. Various grassroots platforms emphasize the urgency of further democratizing access to productive land to ensure social justice and the well-being of vulnerable sectors.
The formal recognition of the settlement represents a significant step forward in the federal government’s social agenda to address historical injustices against rural workers. Peasant communities will continue to organize in the area to protect water sources, promote popular education, and ensure the continued presence of farming families in the São Paulo region.