INCRA

INCRA, the Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária, is a federal agency in Brazil responsible for implementing agrarian reform and managing public lands. Its mandate includes facilitating access to land for rural workers, promoting sustainable land use, and supporting rural development through settlement planning, infrastructure, and technical assistance. The agency also maintains land records, issues titles in agrarian settlements, and coordinates expropriation when lands are acquired for social purposes.

INCRA was established in 1969 during the Brazilian military government as a successor to earlier colonization bodies. It became the central instrument for nationwide agrarian reform policies, operating in conjunction with other government entities and regional authorities to administer land programs and settlements.

In its field operations, INCRA administers settlement projects, delineates land tenure, and provides basic infrastructure and support services to settlements. It also handles the regularization of land titles and coordinates land classification and boundary demarcation, often working with environmental and agricultural agencies to align land reform with broader public policies.

The agency’s activities have generated debate, drawing support from social movements advocating land reform and criticism from segments of the rural landowning sector. Critics point to delays and budget constraints in expropriation and titling processes, while supporters view agrarian reform as a tool for reducing inequality and promoting rural development. INCRA’s role has evolved with broader policy changes and organizational reforms, but it remains a primary federal authority for agrarian reform and the management of public lands in Brazil.