AS-PTA

What AS-PTA does

AS-PTA is a Brazilian civil-society organization (associação civil de direito privado sem fins lucrativos) founded in 1983, dedicated to promoting family agriculture and agroecology. It operates as a non-governmental, non-partisan entity with headquarters in Rio de Janeiro and a national footprint, supporting family farmers, creole-seed (sementes crioulas) networks, and rural-extension (Ater) initiatives. Its core intellectual asset is the Método Lume, an agroecological technical-mediation methodology used to co-design farming practices with farmer organizations, paired with active monitoring of and public opposition to transgenic crop releases before CTNBio.

The organization's business model is project-based and grant-funded: revenue is sourced from Brazilian public agencies (MDA, BNDES), the Fundação Banco do Brasil (FBB), and international cooperation partners (Agence Française de Développement, Cáritas Francesa). Programs are delivered through a network of partner organizations including Centro Vianei, CEMEAR, CEPAGRO, Cetap, INSA, UFRPE, Embrapa, ASA, ANA, and Rede Agriculturas, positioning AS-PTA as a hub within Brazil's national agroecology coalition rather than a vertically integrated operator.

The current programmatic portfolio spans the P1MTS initiative (launched March 2026), the Agroecologia nas Favelas project (Aug 2024 – Oct 2025) targeting urban favela communities, the Da Terra à Mesa farm-to-table project, and ongoing creole-seed, anti-transgenic, and renewable-energy-adjacent activities. Communications channels include Revista Agriculturas and bulletins on transgenics and creoule seeds, and the organization convenes major national events such as the CBA (Congresso Brasileiro de Agroecologia) and participation in the Marcha das Margaridas.

Name

AS-PTA

Legal name

AS-PTA - Agricultura Familiar e Agroecologia

Website

https://aspta.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AS-PTA is a Brazilian nonprofit founded in 1983 that promotes family agriculture and agroecology through the Método Lume methodology, creole-seed preservation, and coalition work with farmers, researchers, and public funders across Brazil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agroecology and Family Agriculture Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGALAD

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAGAI

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYBPADAEAG

Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition Technical Assistance

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

Keywords

• Agroecology services
• Family farming support
• Food sovereignty advocacy
• Seed conservation programs
• Rural development nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership and association fees / donations: AS-PTA is a non-profit civil association without profit purposes, funded through donations, institutional partnerships, and public policies support.
2. Institutional project funding: Projects funded by government agencies (MDA, BNDES, FBB), international development agencies (AFD, Cáritas Francesa), and foundations for the promotion of agroecology.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AS-PTA is a non-profit civil association that produces and disseminates agroecological knowledge, supports family farmers across Brazil through participatory programs and social technologies, and publishes periodicals advocating for food sovereignty, seed conservation, and opposition to transgenic crops. Its core deliverables include the Revista Agriculturas journal, the weekly Boletim Por Um Brasil Livre de Transgênicos newsletter, the GM-Free Brasil Campaign, the CTNBio biosafety monitoring resource, the Blog Em Pratos Limpos, the proprietary Método Lume methodology, and the Urban Agriculture Program.

Product overview

AS-PTA (Assessoria e Serviços a Projetos em Agricultura Alternativa / Agricultura Familiar e Agroecologia) is a non-profit civil association founded in 1983 that operates as an information and advocacy organization rather than a software product company. Its portfolio consists primarily of publications (Revista Agriculturas journal, Boletim newsletter), advocacy campaigns (GM Free Brasil, anti-transgenic campaigns), educational resources (campaign materials, CTNBio monitoring), and methodological tools (Método Lume). The organization does not offer a technology platform or software-as-a-service product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GM-Free Brazil Campaign: Campaign focused on keeping Brazil free from transgenic crops and pesticides, producing the weekly bulletin 'Por Um Brasil Livre de Transgênicos' since 1999
• Revista Agriculturas
• Programa de Agricultura Urbana
• Programa 1 Milhão de Tetos Solares (P1MTS)

Products and services

• Revista Agriculturas Peer-reviewed journal publishing articles about agroecology initiatives developed by families and peasant organisations in Brazil and Latin America. Articles are typically written by people directly involved in these practices and cover technical and methodological principles of agroecological approaches. Available through subscription or donation.
• Boletim 'Por Um Brasil Livre de Transgênicos' Weekly bulletin produced since 1999 providing independent analysis of Brazil's and other countries' situations regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs), along with agroecology experiences. Distributed via email.
• GM-Free Brasil Campaign Advocacy campaign providing information about the ongoing situation of GMOs and biosafety politics in Brazil, distributing monthly email updates. Aimed at the public, policymakers, and partner organisations.
• CTNBio Monitoring Web resource tracking votes, reports, and expert opinions from the National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio), including dissenting views on GMO approval decisions. Available free on the AS-PTA website.
• Blog Em Pratos Limpos Blog focused on seeds, transgenic-free eating, and agroecology topics, featuring content such as the Boletim Sementes Crioulas newsletter. Available free online.
• Método Lume Proprietary participatory methodology developed by AS-PTA for analysing agroecosystems and family farming strategies, focusing on production and consumption flows, resource use, and long-term trajectory. Documentation available on the AS-PTA website.
• Programa de Agricultura Urbana (Urban Agriculture Program) Urban agriculture program working with communities in Rio de Janeiro's favelas, implementing productive gardens, community gardens, mutual aid events, workshops, exchanges, and social technologies in partnership with schools, family clinics, and cultural organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• The 17th Marcha pela Vida das Mulheres e pela Agroecologia gathered approximately 6,000 participants from multiple states (Alagoas, Maranhão, Bahia, Sergipe) in defense of agroecological territories.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Centro VianeicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAS-PTA partners with Centro Vianei (RS) as part of the regional execution network of the 'Da Terra à Mesa' project (MDA funding), which promotes, strengthens, and expands agroecological production systems in Southern Brazil. The partnership also involves the websérie 'Da Terra à Mesa,' an 8-episode audiovisual production showcasing social technologies in Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Rio Grande do Sul.
• CEMEAR (Centro de Meio Ambiente e Redes)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEMEAR (Santa Catarina) is part of the Southern Brazil regional network executing the 'Da Terra à Mesa' project alongside AS-PTA, Centro Vianei, Cetap, and CEPAGRO. CEMEAR contributed to the 'Da Terra à Mesa' websérie covering social technologies in the South of Brazil.
• CEPAGRO (Centro de Estudos e Promoção da Agricultura de Grupo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEPAGRO (Santa Catarina) is part of the Southern Brazil regional network executing the 'Da Terra à Mesa' project alongside AS-PTA, Centro Vianei, Cetap, and CEMEAR. Contributed to the production of the 'Da Terra à Mesa' websérie.
• Cetap (Centro de Tecnologias Alternativas Populares)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCetap (Rio Grande do Sul) is part of the Southern Brazil regional network executing the 'Da Terra à Mesa' project alongside AS-PTA, Centro Vianei, CEPAGRO, and CEMEAR. Contributed to the production of the 'Da Terra à Mesa' websérie.
• Rede Carioca de Agricultura UrbanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Rede Carioca de Agricultura Urbana is a network of community organizations and groups engaged in urban agroecology in Rio de Janeiro. AS-PTA's Urban Agriculture Program participates in this network, and the 'Agroecologia nas Favelas' project (developed Aug 2024–Oct 2025) contributed to its strengthening.
• CEM – Centro de Integração da Serra da MisericórdiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEM is a key local implementing partner in the 'Agroecologia nas Favelas: Redes Locais Promovendo Saúde' project, working alongside AS-PTA's Urban Agriculture Program in Rio de Janeiro's favela territories (Complexo da Penha, Complexo do Alemão, and others).
• Verdejar SocioambientalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVerdejar Socioambiental is a local partner in the 'Agroecologia nas Favelas' project in Rio de Janeiro, contributing to the promotion of agroecological health practices in popular territories.
• AAFA – Associação dos Agricultores da Feira Agroecológica de Campo GrandecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAFA is a local partner in the 'Agroecologia nas Favelas' project, representing farmers from Campo Grande (Rio de Janeiro) engaged in agroecological production and fair-based sales.
• Articulação Nacional de Agroecologia (ANA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANA is the national-level agroecology network that AS-PTA actively participates in. AS-PTA was involved in the ANA's National Plenary held in Foz do Iguaçu and municipalities of Western Paraná (May 2026), which included agroecological caravans across 11 municipalities and 36 communities.
• Articulação Semiárido Brasileiro (ASA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASA is the principal national network for the Semiárido region. AS-PTA participates in the ASA through its operations in Paraíba (Polo da Borborema) and is a key contributor to the Program 1 Milhão de Tetos Solares (P1MTS), a decentralized solar energy initiative. ASA executed the 17th Marcha pela Vida das Mulheres e pela Agroecologia with AS-PTA's support.
• Articulação de Agroecologia do Rio de Janeiro (AARJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAS-PTA is a member organization of AARJ, which celebrated 20 years of operation in 2026. AS-PTA's Urban Agriculture Program coordinated the publication of the Political Letter of the V EEARJ (5th State Meeting of Agroecology of Rio de Janeiro), held June 26–28, 2026 in Silva Jardim.
• INSA – Instituto Nacional do SemiáridocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINSA (Campina Grande, Paraíba) is a key research partner in the SIRIEMA project (Tecnologia Social de Reúso de Água e Manejo Agroecológico). INSA hosted the 1st SIRIEMA Seminar (March 31) and its director highlighted the project's collective and transformative character.
• UFRPE – Universidade Federal Rural de PernambucocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFRPE researchers, particularly Genival Barros, contributed technical expertise to the SIRIEMA gray water reuse technology, demonstrating its agricultural application potential in the Semiárido (1,250 liters/week per family of 4–5 people).
• Embrapa – Programa Inova SocialminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmbrapa Inova Social participated in the SIRIEMA seminar panel 'Initiatives underway,' sharing perspectives on scaling social technologies for rural sanitation and agroecology in the Semiárido.
• SEAPAC (Serviço de Assessoria a Projetos Alternativos de Comunicação)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEAPAC (Rio Grande do Norte) is part of the ASA Brazil network and was a panelist at the SIRIEMA seminar, contributing knowledge on decentralized water reuse and Semiárido coexistence strategies.
• Rede Agriculturas (Agricultures Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAS-PTA co-manages the Rede Agriculturas (Agricultures Network), an international knowledge-sharing network on family agroecological farming. Members include organizations in Brazil, China, India, Kenya, the Netherlands, Peru, and Senegal. The network publishes the Revista Agriculturas journal.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Slow Food International: Global movement and NGO promoting local, traditional, and sustainable food systems. Comparable as a peer in agroecology advocacy, biodiversity preservation, and food sovereignty framing, though larger and more internationally oriented.
• Embrapa: Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, a federal state-owned enterprise and broad incumbent in agricultural R&D. Comparable as a major actor in Brazilian agriculture, though ideologically distinct; Embrapa Inova Social participated in AS-PTA's SIRIEMA seminar, signaling partial thematic overlap in social technology scaling.
• Heifer International: Global nonprofit working to end hunger and poverty through sustainable agriculture and livestock programs. Comparable as a peer in family-farming support, agroecology training, and international rural development funding, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• La Via Campesina: International peasants' movement coordinating agroecology and food sovereignty across 80+ countries. Comparable as a peer in ideological framing, peasant rights advocacy, and global agroecology network participation; AS-PTA's work aligns with La Via Campesina's core mission.
• Articulação Semiárido Brasileiro (ASA): Principal national network for the Brazilian Semiarido region, co-organizer of the 17th Marcha with AS-PTA. ASA is a broader incumbent with a similar Semiarido family-farming focus and donor relationships (FBB, Cáritas), and overlapping programmatic scope in water access and rural development.
• Articulação Nacional de Agroecologia (ANA): National agroecology network in Brazil of which AS-PTA is an active member. ANA convenes broader national advocacy and policy work across dozens of member organizations, operating as an umbrella incumbent that AS-PTA both participates in and competes with for project funding and visibility.

Direct peers

• Cetap: Centro de Tecnologias Alternativas Populares in Rio Grande do Sul, a direct regional partner in AS-PTA's Southern Brazil network executing agroecology and family farming programs with similar grassroots methodology.
• Centro Vianei: Santa Catarina-based agroecology NGO and direct regional partner in AS-PTA's 'Da Terra à Mesa' network. Highly comparable as a peer organization delivering family farming agroecology programs in Southern Brazil with similar methodologies and donor relationships.
• CEPAGRO: Santa Catarina-based agroecology and family agriculture organization that co-executes the 'Da Terra à Mesa' project with AS-PTA. Direct peer in mission, methodology, and regional scope.
• Centro de Estudos e Promoção da Agricultura de Grupo (CEMEAR): Santa Catarina-based organization and direct partner in the 'Da Terra à Mesa' regional network. Comparable in mission and operational model focused on family agroecology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aspta
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfRvRTdz58FkPVese6OzQmA
• Facebookfacebook.com/asptaagroecologia
• Instagraminstagram.com/agroecologiaaspta
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/as-pta

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about AS-PTA