Ecological Family Agriculture Held In Remígio, PB, Brazil

A Case Study On Production Of Knowledge And Innovation

Abstract

This article describes, identify and analyze the social and technological, innovation and the production of knowledge among the family farmers syndicated in the municipality of Remígio, Paraíba’s State, located in the Brazilian semi-arid and belonging to the so-called Polo da Borborema - a network of labour unions and rural workers. The said Polo has been practising innovation in ecological-based agriculture and with an emphasis on existing social relations, knowledge and local expertise. Thus, the case study and the qualitative approach were chosen. The collection of the data was carried out through a half-structured interview with farmers. The main results indicate that ecological agriculture practiced in the municipality of Remígio is an advanced process of local and private development. The local and particular aspect refers to the important feature that is the aspect of providing innovation from the experimentation and the necessity of each farmer, respecting their particularity and knowing. This process of producing knowledge and innovations is mainly based on the reflexive practice and the contextualization of knowledge through daily and informal processes of innovation. As important innovations that arise through these processes, there were several techniques and actions deployed, such as seed bank, solidarity rotary funds, among others, that take on innovative role, awareness and the growing change in Thought of the farmers. Some of these innovations are set up as "novelties", since they are based on external models. It is concluded by reaffirming the rich process of innovations and knowledge produced by these ecological farmers in communion with their old acquaintances allied to those brought by the Polo da Borborema, reaffirming and valuing the identities of these farmers