Serviço de Tecnologia Alternativa - SERTA

What Serviço de Tecnologia Alternativa - SERTA does

SERTA (Serviço de Tecnologia Alternativa) is a Brazilian nonprofit organization registered as an OSCIP (Organização da Sociedade Civil de Interesse Público), founded in 1989 and headquartered in Glória do Goitá, Pernambuco. The organization develops and delivers agroecology education and social technologies for family farmers, rural youth, elderly populations, women, and at-risk children across Northeastern Brazil. Its core proprietary asset is the PEADS (Programa Educacional de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Sustentável) educational methodology, developed since 1994, which integrates formal and non-formal education with social mobilization and sustainable development principles; components of PEADS were incorporated into the official Diretrizes Operacionais para Educação do Campo approved by Brazil's Ministry of Education in 2005.

SERTA operates through two physical campuses — a 15-hectare main campus in Glória do Goitá (Zona da Mata Norte de Pernambuco, 65km from Recife) and a 6-hectare campus in Ibimirim (Sertão do Moxotó, 345km from Recife) — both featuring UPPO (Unidade Pedagógica Permacultural de Observação) living laboratories that demonstrate permaculture, bioconstruction, water cistern technologies (16,000L and 52,000L capacity), and agroforestry systems. The product portfolio includes an 18-month MEC-recognized Technical Course in Agroecology (1,400 hours), free short courses in poultry farming, native beekeeping, agroforestry, bioconstruction, urban gardens, composting, and soil management, plus a children's vacation program (Programa Ecoférias). Service delivery reaches 47 municipalities in Pernambuco and additional states including Alagoas, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, and Bahia.

The organization is funded primarily through a diversified base of public-sector contracts (Secretaria de Educação de Pernambuco, CMDCA municipal councils, federal ministries MDA and MDS, World Bank-financed state programs) and corporate CSR partnerships with major Brazilian firms including Grupo Carrefour, BTG Pactual, Nubank, Rede D'Or, Deloitte, TV Globo, Itaú Social, Gerdau, and AkzoNobel. Additional revenue comes from individual donations and tax-incentivized contributions (up to 6% of income tax can be directed to SERTA). Over 35 years, SERTA has reportedly impacted 100,000+ people, implemented 100+ projects, received 19 awards, and receives approximately 10,000 annual visitors at its UPPO learning centers. Governance is via a Board of Directors (2025-2028 term) led by President Zuleide Bezerra dos Santos.

Name

Serviço de Tecnologia Alternativa - SERTA

Legal name

Serviço de Tecnologia Alternativa - SERTA

Website

https://serta.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SERTA is a Brazilian nonprofit (OSCIP) that delivers agroecology education, permaculture training, and social technology implementation to family farmers, rural youth, and vulnerable communities across Northeastern Brazil through two campuses and a proprietary methodology (PEADS) recognized by Brazil's Ministry of Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education and Sustainable Development Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112), Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agriculture & Food Production (EDABALAA), Soil Health & Regenerative Agronomy Consulting (AFACABAA), Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF), Agribusiness, Farm Management & Compliance (EDAOAOAN), Crop, Soil & Agronomy Technician Training (EDAOAOAF)

Keywords

• Agroecology education
• Sustainable agriculture training
• Rural development programs
• Social technology projects
• Community education services

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Project Funding: SERTA operates primarily through public funding from government programs including terms of collaboration with municipal councils (CMDCA, COMDICA), state secretariats (SEE-PE), and federal ministries (MDA, MDS). Projects like Estrelas do Sertão, Cisternas Sertão, and Germinar are funded through formal partnership agreements with public entities.
2. Corporate Social Responsibility Partnerships: Funding from companies including Grupo Carrefour, BTG Pactual, Nubank, Rede D'Or, Deloitte, and others for specific social projects targeting food security, elderly care, and youth development. Companies provide resources in exchange for ESG impact visibility and social engagement.
3. Technical Education Services: Technical course in Agroecology (1400h, 18 months) provided through partnership with Secretaria de Educação de Pernambuco. Operates in alternation system with students spending time at campus and in their home communities.
4. Donations and Tax Incentive Programs: Accepts donations via bank transfer, PIX, and credit card. Individuals can direct up to 6% of their Income Tax to SERTA. Also operates under cultural and recycling incentive laws for specific projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SERTA delivers formal and non-formal agroecology education through an 18-month MEC-recognized Technical Course in Agroecology, a catalog of free short courses (permaculture poultry, native beekeeping, agroforestry systems, bioconstruction, urban gardens, composting, soil management), and a portfolio of community development projects targeting youth, women, elderly, and rural families. Educational delivery is anchored in the proprietary PEADS methodology and operationalized through two UPPO living laboratory campuses in Glória do Goitá and Ibimirim, complemented by field deployment teams implementing social technologies in partner communities.

Product overview

SERTA (Serviço de Tecnologia Alternativa) is an Organization of Civil Society of Public Interest (OSCIP) offering a portfolio of educational products centered on agroecology and sustainable development. The core offerings include the 18-month Technical Course in Agroecology (MEC-recognized), free professional courses (poultry farming, beekeeping, agroforestry systems, bioconstruction, urban gardens, composting, soil management), and the Programa Ecoférias for children. These are delivered through SERTA's proprietary PEADS methodology and the UPPO living laboratories at two campuses. The organization also implements numerous development projects targeting youth (Germinar, Estrelas do Sertão), children (Desenvolvendo Cidadania), women (Teia da Vida), and the elderly (Florescer na Boa Idade, Raízes da Sabedoria), plus social technology projects like Cisternas Sertão and EJA Campo adult education programs. The portfolio forms an integrated ecosystem supporting family agriculture, urban agroecology, and community empowerment through education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Curso Técnico em Agroecologia An 18-month technical course (1400 hours) recognized by the Ministry of Education that trains students in agricultural activities, environmental management, business administration, and low-cost technology development for family farms. Operates in alternation system with students spending time at the campus and in their home communities.
• Curso Livre de Criação de Galinha no Sistema Permacultural A 2-day free course (16 hours) providing basic theoretical and practical knowledge on poultry farming in permaculture systems, suitable for beginners and experienced breeders.
• Curso Livre de Criação de Abelhas Nativas (Meliponicultura) A free course teaching basic theoretical and practical knowledge on native bee keeping (meliponiculture), for hobbyists and commercial producers.
• Curso Livre de Sistema Agroflorestal (SAF) A 3-day free course (20 hours) teaching syntropic agriculture and agroforestry systems that enable productive farming with minimal environmental impact.
• Curso Livre de Bioconstrução A 40-hour course offering hands-on and theoretical experience in bioconstruction using organic materials available in nature, held at the Glória do Goitá campus.
• Curso Livre de Hortas Urbanas An 8-hour course teaching techniques for producing high-quality food in small urban spaces, optimizing existing areas like backyards and balconies.
• Curso Livre de Composteira Urbana A free course teaching vermicomposting techniques using California red worms to transform household organic waste into high-quality natural fertilizer.
• Curso Livre de Manejo Agroecológico do Solo A course focused on soil management techniques that minimize environmental impact while contributing to productive evolution in a syntropic approach.
• Programa Ecoférias A vacation program for children aged 7-12 offering rural living experiences with learning, discoveries, and fun through outdoor activities, agroecology, nature connection, and healthy eating.
• Unidade Pedagógica Permacultural de Observação (UPPO) A living laboratory at both SERTA campuses (Glória do Goitá - 15 hectares; Ibimirim - 6 hectares) where visitors and students learn soil, water, animal, and plant management technologies through practical and pedagogical activities. Open to public by appointment with approximately 10,000 annual visitors.
• Programa Educacional de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Sustentável (PEADS) SERTA's proprietary educational methodology integrating formal and non-formal education with social mobilization and technological/social bases for sustainable development. Structured in four stages: research, analysis and unfolding, return for action, and evaluation.
• Projeto Germinar A youth development project promoting professional qualification, citizenship formation, and entrepreneurship for adolescents and young people aged 14-21 to act as Territorial Development Agents (ADT).
• Projeto Estrelas do Sertão A project contributing to the formation of children and adolescents in Ibimirim-PE through educational and cultural activities based on PEADS methodology and play therapy.
• Projeto Desenvolvendo Cidadania A project promoting integral development of children and adolescents grounded in human rights, literature, music, dance, poetry, sports, theater, and play therapy.
• Projeto Cisternas Sertão A social technology project implementing 16,000-liter family cisterns and 52,000-liter school cisterns to guarantee access to potable water in the semi-arid region.
• Projeto Florescer na Boa Idade A project promoting practical and pedagogical agroecological urban agriculture actions for elderly people in Olinda, including productive backyard implementation, citizenship education, and healthy aging.
• Projeto Teia da Vida: Mulheres Unidas pela Agroecologia A project implementing 200 productive backyards targeting food and nutritional sovereignty for indigenous, quilombola, rural, and urban women, with feminist formation for empowerment.
• Projeto Raízes da Sabedoria A project promoting practical and pedagogical urban agroecological agriculture with elderly people in Recife communities, involving citizenship education, community involvement, and productive backyards.
• EJA Campo - Educação de Jovens e Adultos do Campo Youth and Adult Education program for rural populations offering courses in Apiculture/Meliponiculture, Productive Backyards, Animal Husbandry, Living Pharmacy, and Permaculture Applied to Family Agriculture.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 people trained over 35 years of operation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Secretaria de Educação de PernambucocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for technical education in agroecology through the state education secretariat. Provides accredited technical courses recognized by MEC across 47 municipalities in Pernambuco.
• Ministério do Desenvolvimento Agrário e Agricultura FamiliarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal ministry providing funding and programmatic support for rural development projects including ATER Bem Viver and Teia da Vida. SERTA participates in national council (CONDRAF).
• Grupo Carrefour BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate CSR partnership supporting projects targeting elderly farmers (Agricultores Idosos do Moxotó) and healthy aging programs (Conexão Saudável).
• ASA Brasil (Articulação Semiárido Brasileiro)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network coordinating cistern construction programs (P1MC - Um Milhão de Cisternas). SERTA implements cistern projects in semi-arid municipalities.
• Governo da Paraíba - PB Rural SustentávelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government partnership through World Bank project for Cooperar project implementing agricultural technical assistance in Cariri Paraibano.
• Conselho Municipal dos Direitos da Criança e do Adolescente - CMDCA Glória do GoitácoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal council providing funding and oversight for child and adolescent projects including Germinar and Desenvolvendo Cidadania.
• Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerLargest trade union in Brazil exploring partnership for educational programs across 9 northeastern states focusing on family farming and agroecology.
• ASHOKAstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal fellowship network for social entrepreneurs supporting innovative solutions in social impact.
• Universidade Católica de Pernambuco (Unicap)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical school partnership for Florescer na Boa Idade project, with students from Family Health Unit providing health education alongside agroecological activities.
• Grupo de Saúde Condor e Cabo GatocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity health group in Olinda partnering on Florescer na Boa Idade, contributing traditional knowledge on medicinal plants and fitotherapy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WWF-Brasil: Major Brazilian conservation NGO working on sustainable agriculture, water, and biodiversity in the Caatinga biome. Comparable as a larger-scale, multi-state sustainability NGO with overlapping thematic focus on family farming and semi-arid conservation.
• Instituto Federal de Pernambuco (IFPE): Brazilian federal institute network offering free technical and higher education in agriculture and related fields across Pernambuco. Comparable as an incumbent provider of accredited technical agroecology training, with which SERTA competes and partners within the same state education system.
• Embrapa (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária): Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, the federal government's primary agricultural R&D institution. Comparable as a broad incumbent that generates and disseminates agricultural knowledge across Brazil, but at much larger scale and with a public-sector mandate rather than SERTA's grassroots NGO model.
• Caritas Brasileira: National Catholic NGO implementing rural development, food security, and emergency response programs across Brazil's semi-arid and Amazon regions. Comparable in scale of programs targeting family farmers and vulnerable rural populations, and in reliance on public and international funding.
• IICA (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture): Intergovernmental agency supporting agricultural development and rural well-being across the Americas. Listed as a SERTA funder via FIDA/IICA; comparable as a broader institutional actor in agricultural technical assistance and rural capacity building that overlaps with SERTA's agroecology training work.

Direct peers

• Centro Sabiá: Pernambuco-based NGO focused on agroecology, family farming, and youth protagonism in the Agreste and Sertão regions. Highly comparable to SERTA in mission, geographic focus, and methodology of training rural educators and farmers on sustainable practices.
• Articulação Semiárido Brasileiro (ASA Brasil): National network of 1,000+ civil society organizations coordinating the P1MC cistern program in Brazil's semi-arid region. SERTA is an implementing member and partner of ASA, making it a direct peer in semi-arid water access, agroecology, and rural development programming for family farmers.

Emerging players

• Rede de Agroecologia do Nordeste (Rede Nordeste): Northeast Brazilian network of organizations promoting agroecology, family farming, and food sovereignty across the region. Comparable as a peer network focused on the same thematic and geographic space, where SERTA participates through partnerships and project implementation.
• Ashoka Brazil: Global social entrepreneur fellowship operating in Brazil to identify and support systems-change innovators. Listed as a SERTA partner; comparable as an adjacent ecosystem player nurturing social-impact solutions in agriculture, education, and rural development.

Others

• Fundação Banco do Brasil: Foundation of Banco do Brasil funding social technology, agroecology, and rural development projects nationwide. Listed as a SERTA partner; comparable as a funding/advisory ecosystem player rather than a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/conexaoserta
• Facebookfacebook.com/serta.org.br
• Instagraminstagram.com/serta.org.br/?hl=pt-br
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/servi-o-de-tecnologia-alternativa-serta

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Serviço de Tecnologia Alternativa - SERTA