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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
A agroecologia é, hoje em dia, uma palavra cada vez mais usada por investigadores e
produtores. Encontramo-la cada vez mais em documentos oficiais das Nações Unidas e em
publicações da UE sobre política agrícola e desenvolvimento rural, apesar das suas origens no seio
do campesinato pobre da América Latina. Neste trabalho procura-se desenvolver o conceito de
agroecologia, estabelecer a sua origem e como ela se poderá adaptar ao contexto mediterrânico.
Para isto, no âmbito do projecto trAEce (www.traece.eu), foi criado um questionário de
resposta aberta, que depois foi aplicado a um conjunto de produtores e produtoras agrícolas em
Portugal, mapeado previamente por pesquisa de secretária e depois pela técnica da bola de neve
(snowball sampling). Os produtores alvo foram aqueles que afirmam implementar práticas
agroecológicas, e outros que, apesar de não afirmarem, sabe-se aplicarem-nas também.
As pessoas entrevistadas têm um elevado grau de escolaridade, são na maioria homens (64%)
e concentram-se entre as idades de 35 e 64 anos. Reportaram-se muitas práticas e sistemas agrícolas
que conseguem conciliar a produção com a preservação ou melhoria dos ecossistemas e a dignidade
da pessoa humana. Notavelmente, as hortas biointensivas para mercado, ou market garden, e o
pastoreio holístico, mas também muitas outras práticas tradicionais e importadas de gestão de
sistemas agro-silvo-pastorís. Encontram-se, também, muitos problemas ao nível da crescente falta
de água, dependência de subsídios e combustíveis fósseis, práticas tradicionais em extinção, e a
falta de reconhecimento do papel dos camponeses por parte da sociedade.
Concluiu-se que a agroecologia se adapta ao contexto mediterrânico e que pode ser utilizada
para resolver muitos problemas sociais, ambientais e económicos, que se vão intensificar com o
passar dos anos. As falsas soluções baseadas na lógica do lucro apresentadas pelos governos para
resolver estes problemas contrastam com o não reconhecimento da agricultura familiar e da
agroecologia por parte destas mesmas entidades. Com este trabalho espera-se contribuir para lançar
as fundações para a transição agroecológica em Portugal.
Agroecology is an evermore used word amongst researchers and producers. It can e found in official United Nations documents and European Union publications about agricultural policy and rural development, in spite of its origin being the poor peasantry of Latin America. This work aims to develop the concept of agroecology, look for its origin and try to understand how it can adapt to the Mediterranean context. To carry out the task, an open answer questionnaire was created, in the context of the trAEce project (www.traece.eu), and applied to a group of farmers in Portugal, which was mapped by desk search and then through snowball sampling. The target producers were those who claim to use agroecological practices, as well as others who use such practices, but don’t recognize them as being agroecological. The people interviewed have a high level of education, the majority are men (64%), and their ages concentrate between 35 and 64 years old. They reported many practices and agricultural systems that can conciliate production with conservation or improving of ecosystems and the dignity of the human person. Most notably, biointensive market gardens and holistic planned grazing, but also many other traditional or imported agro-sylvo-pastoral system management practices. Problems, such as the increase in drought, subsidies and fossil fuel dependency, eroding traditional practices and the lack of recognition given to peasant farmers by the rest of society, were also found. Concluding, agroecology is well adapted to Mediterranean conditions and can be used to solve many of the social, environmental and economic problems that we have today, and that are going to intensify in the coming years. False solutions based on the logic of blind profit presented by governments today to solve this issues contrast with the lack of recognition given to family farming and agroecology by these entities. This work aims to help contribute to lay the foundations for the agroecological transition in Portugal.
Agroecology is an evermore used word amongst researchers and producers. It can e found in official United Nations documents and European Union publications about agricultural policy and rural development, in spite of its origin being the poor peasantry of Latin America. This work aims to develop the concept of agroecology, look for its origin and try to understand how it can adapt to the Mediterranean context. To carry out the task, an open answer questionnaire was created, in the context of the trAEce project (www.traece.eu), and applied to a group of farmers in Portugal, which was mapped by desk search and then through snowball sampling. The target producers were those who claim to use agroecological practices, as well as others who use such practices, but don’t recognize them as being agroecological. The people interviewed have a high level of education, the majority are men (64%), and their ages concentrate between 35 and 64 years old. They reported many practices and agricultural systems that can conciliate production with conservation or improving of ecosystems and the dignity of the human person. Most notably, biointensive market gardens and holistic planned grazing, but also many other traditional or imported agro-sylvo-pastoral system management practices. Problems, such as the increase in drought, subsidies and fossil fuel dependency, eroding traditional practices and the lack of recognition given to peasant farmers by the rest of society, were also found. Concluding, agroecology is well adapted to Mediterranean conditions and can be used to solve many of the social, environmental and economic problems that we have today, and that are going to intensify in the coming years. False solutions based on the logic of blind profit presented by governments today to solve this issues contrast with the lack of recognition given to family farming and agroecology by these entities. This work aims to help contribute to lay the foundations for the agroecological transition in Portugal.
Description
Keywords
Agroecologia Práticas agroecológicas Agricultura tradicional Mediterrâneo