Agrobiodiversity in peasant swidden fields and home-gardens in the Mearim valley, Maranhão state

• Autor(a) principal: Porro, Roberto
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista de Ciências Agrárias (Belém. Online)
• Texto Completo: https://ajaes.ufra.edu.br/index.php/ajaes/article/view/3518
• topic: family farming; babassu; traditional communities; ethnovarieties; agriculture; peasantry; agricultura familiar; babaçu; comunidades tradicionais; etnovariedades; agricultura; campesinato

This study analyzed characteristics associated with the agrobiodiversity maintained by farmers in babassu areas in the Médio Mearim, Maranhão, identifying local varieties of the main species cultivated in traditional swiddens, as well as the frequency of fruit tree species, vegetables, and medicinal and condiment plants present in home-gardens. Based on interviews conducted in 1,025 households in 207 villages, varieties of rice (36), cowpea (31), maize (20), and cassava (35) were reported. In the home-gardens, 46 fruit tree species, 29 vegetables, and 73 medicinal and condiment species were identified. To better understand aspects that influence the diversity of species and varieties, the results were analyzed according to 11 variables used as stratification criteria. The analysis indicated that significant differences in the average number of vegetables were observed in relation to landholding area and retirement benefit. For medicinal and condimental vegetables, differences were observed for age group of the household head, dependence on babassu extraction, and monetary income of the household. Regarding the diversity of fruit trees cultivated, differences occurred for all the variables analyzed, except for the education of the household head. Analyzing jointly the four main species of traditional swiddens, a positive association for greater diversity occurred in quilombola territories, and a negative association for beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família Program. These results confirm that swidden field is a peasant institution that persists, featuring a significant diversity of traditional varieties, which is not sufficiently affected by factors endogenous to the domestic unit of production.