Quintais produtivos e o papel das mulheres camponesas para o fortalecimento da produção agroecológica: um estudo das experiências desenvolvidas pelo Movimento de Mulheres Camponesas – MMC/ SC

Abstract

Productive backyards and the role of peasant women to strengthen agroecological production”, is a study based on the experiences developed by the Peasant Women's Movement (MMC), in the state of Santa Catarina. In the late 1990s, the Movement proposed the construction of the Agroecological and Feminist Peasant Agriculture project. For peasant women, Agroecology is the way to overcome the numerous environmental impacts and consequences that have intensified with the implementation of the green revolution proposal. The science of Agroecology provides principles, work methodologies and knowledge to design and manage agroecosystems that are productive and at the same time conserve natural resources, which are culturally adapted, socially and economically viable. Through the MMC project, the peasant women participating in the Movement began their experiences with the principles of agroecological production in the spaces they cultivate, manage, coordinate and have greater autonomy and control such as the vegetable garden, the orchard, the farming and agroforestry systems, set of elements that are currently called “agroecological productive backyards”. In Brazil, Quintal is the term used to refer to the land located around the house, a portion of land close to the residence, with easy and comfortable access, on which multiple food species are grown, as well as other products, such as firewood. And medicinal plants. For the MMC, the productive backyard consists of a production practice articulated with the agroecological and feminist peasant agriculture project that is closely related to the practice of peasant women. In the backyard space, historically, women have been able to produce as they want to meet the demand for food for self-consumption. In this sense, the research sought to analyze in the educational practice of productive backyards developed by peasant women inserted in the MMC/SC, the social, economic and ecological benefits, as well as its importance for society, the contributions to the economic autonomy of women and the strengthening of the practice agroecological and sustainable. The methodology used was action research. As a data collection instrument, interviews were used with semi-structured open questions for a group of rural women leaders who act as monitors of the MMC/SC projects and have a strong relationship with praxis: practice - theory - practice.