Community Vegetable Gardens in Teresina: connected lives in urban environments

Abstract

Thinking of urban gardens as an alternative for socio-environmental development in large cities leads to questioning which aspects of people’s lives are most significantly affected by activities in urban vegetable gardens in Teresina/Piauí. The objective of the article is to analyze how the social institutional, economic, and productive aspects are dynamized in the experiences of the gardeners inserted in the Community Gardens Project in Teresina. The research is exploratory and qualitative, based on a bibliographical, documental, and field study. 12 vegetable gardeners were interviewed in depth. Data treatment was based on textual analysis. As some of the results, it was evident that the gardens favor social ties and the expansion of income, as well as entrepreneurship, but even with the support of the city hall, there is a need for greater access to equipment and infrastructure elements, such as water and toilets, as well as training.