Beekeeping and Agroecological Systems for Endogenous Sustainable Development

Abstract

This article examines the process of agroecological research on beekeeping systems, developed jointly by the Temperate Agriculture Program of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (EMBRAPA), and the Institute of Sociology and Peasant Studies (ISEC), of the University of Córdoba. The investigation was carried out on different beekeeping experiences in southern Brazil: peasant family farms, settlements of agrarian reform, and Afro-descent quilombola and Guarani indigenous villages. The systems are managed in the contexts of agroecological farming and include "Africanized honeybees" and native "stingless bees," integrated among trees and crops. We show that the dynamics of investigation that follows the guidelines presented by family farmers and traditional people contribute to their empowerment and to changing their own reality, favoring endogenous development and the dialogue of knowledge. The participatory experiences by ISEC and EMBRAPA Temperate Agriculture through the organization and mobilization of farmers and traditional people generated organizational structures that build local food systems. This joint initiative contributes to peasants' search for autonomy and food sovereignty, and strengthens the reproduction of this work toward the political dimension of agroecology.

Climate change in the Eastern Amazon: crop-pollinator and occurrence-restricted bees are potentially more affected

“…They are essential to safeguard global food security due to their worldwide importance for crop production (Garibaldi et al 2013;Potts et al 2016). Besides, they actively contribute to the recovery of degraded ecosystems (Montoya et al 2012;Williams and Lonsdorf 2018) and can also play a crucial role in sustainable development projects and programs (Wolff and Gomes 2015), by providing an extra source of income to traditional and low-income communities (Jaffé et al 2015). Bee populations are in decline as a result of human activities, and the leading causes include changes in land use, competition with invasive species, pathogens, agrochemical usage, and climate change (Biesmeijer et al 2006;Brown and Paxton 2009;Potts et al 2010).…”

Local food systems: potential for new market connections for family farming

“…They also consider fairs as spaces for social exchanges and cultural signs between producers and consumers. Finally, Wolff and Gomes (2015) focus on beekeeping activities carried out by family farmers in southern Brazil.…”

“…Local food systems must comprise socially engaged actors (producers, consumers, and the public and private sectors) to strengthen local productive activities, establish solid relationships between consumption and production, and, consequently, improve farmers' living conditions (WOLFF;GOMES, 2015).…”

Environmental and Ecosystem Services, Tree Diversity and Knowledge of Family Farmers

“…The identification of species of local biodiversity and the knowledge of their potential are important tools in the process of nature appropriation by social groups. Trees not only play a key role for their wood (Almeida, 2000), but also for the many products and services offered, some of increasing relevance to sustainability in its multiple dimensions (Martinez et al, 2013;Wolff & Gomes, 2015). From the environmental point of view, trees present in riparian forests, on slopes, springs, and hilltops, and portions of the landscape referred to as Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs -Áreas de Preservação Permanente) sustain the most important resources for the productivity and sustainability of agroecosystems: water, soil, and biodiversity.…”