The program is located in the southern part of Brazil, at the border between the states of Paraná and Sta. Catarina. Twenty-two municipalities are included in the program, covering 13,000 square kilometers and a population of 55,000 family farmers (roughly 250,000 people).
The area is part of the Atlantic Forest bioma, a very biodiversily rich mixed rainforest. The climate is classified as subtropical, cool and humid, with average yearly rainfalls varying between 1,300 and 1,700 mm.
The area is hilly to mountainous, with small flat valleys at the river bottoms with acid soils and poor phosphorous content. Family farms are small, occupying 1/3 of the farmland even if they represent 90% of all farms...