The Contribution of the Participatory Guarantee System in the Revival of Agroecological Principles in Southern Minas Gerais, Brazil

Aloísia Rodrigues Hirata, Luiz Carlos Dias Rocha, Thiago Rodrigo de Paula Assis, Vanilde Ferreira de Souza-Esquerdo and Sonia Maria Pessoa Pereira Bergamasco
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Aloísia Rodrigues Hirata: College of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP 13083-875, Brazil
Luiz Carlos Dias Rocha: Federal Institute of South Minas, Inconfidentes, MG 37576-000, Brazil
Thiago Rodrigo de Paula Assis: Management and Economics Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG 37200-000, Brazil
Vanilde Ferreira de Souza-Esquerdo: College of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP 13083-875, Brazil
Sonia Maria Pessoa Pereira Bergamasco: College of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP 13083-875, Brazil

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 17, 1-15

Abstract: Market pressures generated by the demand for organic food have pushed farmers to turn away from agroecological principles, which leads to actions focused directly on the agricultural practices for production. The objective of this study was to analyze whether the methodology used by the Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) contributes to farmers’ appropriation of agroecological principles, understood here in their environmental, sociocultural, economic, and political dimensions. We analyzed the PGS-Sul de Minas, which was the first PGS founded in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil and includes 14 organizations and more than 200 families. Documentary analysis and participant observation were prioritized in data collection. The main results are the correlation between the practices used by the farmers in these organizations with the principles of agroecology. This is evident in aspects such as the encouragement of productive diversification, the construction of new marketing alternatives, the revival and use of heirloom seeds, the stimulation of women’s leadership, and places and policies that support and strengthen agroecology. The study found that the procedures adopted by the PGSs help strengthen agroecology and bring direct benefits to the farmers through revival and encouragement of agroecological principles.

Keywords: participatory certification; PGS; agroecology; organic agriculture; southern Minas Gerais (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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