In Brazil the non-profit organization Instituto Meio works to prevent migration to overpopulating cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro from the surrounding rural areas. Urban migration is mainly caused by rural poverty. Generating business opportunities in rural areas and small towns is an instrument and a long term solution for preventing migration and also serves the purposes of preserving and strengthening local cultural identities.

Instituto Meios method is the provision of know-how and management skills, as well as business-orientated solutions that increase income and quality of life of less favored social groups in these rural areas of Brazil. Their aim is to help local communities generate income through local values and skills and to help them achieve local, regional and global markets. Instituto Meio is composed of a multi-disciplinary team of specialists in areas ranging from business-administration to design. They seek to develop strategical social, environmental and cultural projects in cooperation with companies and private and public organizations.
In browsing through the examples of Instituto Meios work an interesting idea is brought to mind that exemplifies social design.

Their methods build on traditional cultural value and seek to fuse it with the forces of the market. What is fascinating is that the market can then be seen as a new playing field for these communities rather than a threat to their existence. The creation of economical values throughout cultural values transforms the local identity into competitive advantages.

So adjustments and developments in the conduct of business in the respective communities is likely to have a direct effect on their ability to choose the form of life that they want. It is the facilitation of developmental processes with a social focus. This focus is on local ways of life and the ways of the global market. The aim is to build a fruitful relationship between the two without limiting the productive features of either.

In a specific project called Capim-Dourado, Instituto Meio is helping to preserve traditional art that represents an important income for more than 2000 families in the almost unpopulated Jalapão region, in central Brasil. The local artisans use a golden grass to produce natural baskets and other products that represent the only income, not only in the Jalapão region, but also for the Xerente indios. In each region, a group of specialists gave workshops to improve the sustainable harvest, improve cooperation and communication between communities, and improve products and management skills.