The dimensions of the agroecological knowledge: the experience of family farmers settled in Viamão, RS

Abstract

Agroecology has been debated internationally as a reference for building more sustainable food systems, becoming the focus of research centers and development agencies. However, it is important to consider that the agroecological transition requires a process of knowledge construction by the social actors involve with it. This article aims to present and discuss the dimensions of agroecological knowledge experienced by family farmers living at Filhos de Sepé Settlement at Viamão, Rio Grande do Sul State. The data are the result of a qualitative research and have a relational approach to knowledge as it´s analytical framework, understanding knowledge as the result of an integral and dynamic process of the interaction of beings in the world. Through participant observation, interviews and the collaborative construction of illustrations, we were able to identify three dimensions by which farmers build their agroecological knowledge: lavoura, corre and habitar. These dimensions interpose and intertwine in the daily lives of the farmers, creating a series of interfaces and contributing to their productive and reproductive activities. The results demonstrate a complex, multidisciplinary and heterogeneous knowledge process that emerges from the practical experience of farmer's engagement within the world, breaking with classic dichotomies around nature-society and prescriptive agriculture. The current agricultural context requires multifaceted family farmers, where crop management skills are only one of the functions performed, provoking the need for different learning to be developed. The exchange of knowledge is highly relevant, whether among peers, technicians, researchers or even non-humans with whom they interact daily.