Do bem-me-quer às novas margaridas : a agroecologia que colhe o futuro e aduba o protagonismo feminino em uma região fumageira.

Abstract

To be a woman is to be born marked by a social norm, even before understanding or developing critical capacity, it is having your existence linked to the feminine, to care, to the home. When looking at the country woman, her reality does not deviate from the standard, hard work is called "help" and her recognition of "invisible". In agroecology, women are pioneers in the installation of vegetable gardens for the family, however it is common for men to assume the sale of surpluses and manage family income. This structure keeps rural women restricted to the domestic environment, contributing to the invisibility of their work and less participation in society. In contrast, social movements have been articulating for 20 years in the struggle for gender equity and fair food production, which respects nature, people and life, with agroecology being pointed out as a perspective for the future. In 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic, agroecology gained prominence, since the large long-chain food industries were unable to meet the population's demands for food, highlighting the need to encourage local production, independent of agrochemicals and industrial inputs. and that conserve nature and its resources. This dissertation aims to analyze the meanings produced in the narratives of young women about their motivations for agroecological production and the transformations of the roles attributed to women in the countryside, from the perspective of autonomy, freedom and health, as well as reflecting on the socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, hunger and food and nutritional insecurity, drawing a counterpoint with agroecological practices and their perspectives in Brazil and on the world stage. MANUSCRIPT I - WOMEN AND AGROECOLOGY IN BRAZIL: A BIBLIOMETRY OF SIXTEEN YEARS OF HISTORY: In this article we aim to map the literature on women in agroecology and its bibliographic indicators. Bibliometric, descriptive study with quantitative analysis. The search took place on 4 bases, with the descriptors "woman" and "agroecology", resulting in 82 works. In 2013, there was an increase in publications, with a drop in 2019. The role of female authors was evident (81.74%). Only 6 authors published more than one work in the area. Of the 21 articles published in scientific journals, 1/3 were concentrated in the same journal, pointing to the University of Santa Catarina as the research front. The results point to the dispersion and discontinuity of authorship, suggesting the need to create durable research centers. MANUSCRIPT II - THE FLOWERING OF NEW MARGARIDAS: AGROECOLOGY, EDUCATION AND HEALTH: This article aims to analyze, in the narratives of young farmers, agroecological the influence of rural education, generational transformations in gender relations, and their perceptions about agroecology. The analyzed data resulted from qualitative research, in which 5 young women members of agroecological movements were interviewed in the Vale do Rio Pardo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The recordings and transcriptions were submitted to Thematic Analysis. As a result, rural education, especially when guided by agroecology, stood out in the development of more egalitarian and autonomous communities. It can be seen that the insertion of the interviewees in the agroecological movement opened a space for questioning and changes in the family structure. This new generation of women tensions culturally established gender relations, especially about property management and division of tasks. Women were identified as pioneers of organic production, which, even if not named, has always been a practice transmitted in a transgenerational way. It was found that subsistence gardens expand autonomy, guarantee food and nutritional security, and are a health promotion device. These aspects were also attributed to agroecology, which was recognized in its broad sense. Thus, not being restricted to the status of science or ideology, but of a way of life that respects generations, health and nature. Finally, it was concluded that rural education, together with agroecological precepts, contributes to the process of empowerment and transformation of rural women's ways of life. MANUSCRIPT III - COVID-19 AND HUNGER: REFLECTIONS ABOUT AN AGROECOLOGICAL FUTURE: The Covid - 19 pandemic had a major impact on society and the economy, stripping the faces of inequality in Brazil, and tracing a path towards hunger and food and nutritional insecurity. Since February 2020, the notification of the first case in the country, social isolation and lockdown measures have increased as unemployment and discouragement rates, as well as the closing of local fairs, which granted access to fresh food to the peripheries, raising the price of food. fresh and increase consumption of industrialized products. These questions reflect on the fragility of the production and consumption chains, which are dependent on external inputs and transport infrastructure. From the perspective of a subsidiary to fight hunger, access to food and changes in the logic of food production, this text discusses the potential of agroecological practices in this context, understanding that agroecology has in its principles freedom, autonomy and health, dialoguing with concepts of food sovereignty and the struggle for equity. CONCLUSIONS: Agroecology presented itself as a tool for political questioning and economic, social, and cultural relations. Due to its transformative character, its definition was not restricted to the status of science or ideology, but as a way of life that respects generations, health and nature. For women, rural education and insertion in agroecological social movements conferred criticality and empowerment. In the statements, the farmers recognized themselves as protagonists of the agroecological transition, presented themselves as questioners of gender relations in society, and reported the confrontations for changes in family social structures. The subsistence gardens, which they cultivate, are a device for expanding autonomy, guaranteeing food and nutritional security, and promoting health. Based on theoretical reflections, agroecology was understood as a potent strategy for overcoming the food crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and for structuring an agrifood system with a more resilient, diverse, and equitable profile.