AGROFORESTRY BACKYARDS
Agroforestry systems promote agrobiodiversity, environmental conservation, environmental health, food security and income generation. More than management techniques, they are agroecological practices that contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, soils and waters in tropical regions. Agroforestry gardens, found in traditional communities that face restrictions on land use, are established in family backyards and in shared backyards. Mostly managed by women due to their proximity to homes, these gardens strengthen the visibility and recognition of women's work, highlighting its importance in sustainability and the local economy.
PROBLEM SOLVED
Some agricultural practices of traditional communities involve the removal of forest cover to open new areas for cultivation and, occasionally, the use of fire management as a method to eliminate vegetation and make nutrients from ash available for crops to be planted. These practices can result in soil degradation, reduced fertility, changes to soil biology, and compromise the ability to maintain and reproduce water cycles and biodiversity.
In addition, it is important to consider that many traditional communities have their territories overlapped by strictly protected conservation units, which imposes restrictions on the management of forest cover and land use. In this context, agroforestry systems emerge as an alternative for production and management that allows for the maintenance and strengthening of ecosystem resilience. However, these restrictions often limit the management area of families to their backyards, making it difficult to implement broader agricultural practices.
SOLUTION ADOPTED
As a means of creating alternatives for managing vegetation without necessarily carrying out forest plant suppression and strengthening agricultural systems that promote soil fertility, the maintenance of agrobiodiversity and, consequently, the increase in multiple uses of agroecosystems, agricultural arrangements based on agroforestry systems are proposed.
The traditional communities of Bocaina receive technical assistance in the implementation and maintenance of agroforestry areas. This assistance aims to discuss the knowledge of caiçara, quilombola and indigenous people in the management of forest resources. The management practices of agroforestry backyards promote the differentiated development of species and can be combined with legumes, increasing the food security of the communities.
The use of agroforestry in Conservation Units promotes the establishment of traditional peoples in their territories and indicates desirable processes for the recovery of degraded areas. The sharing of ideas on agroforestry and agroecology opens a dialogue with traditional communities about reducing the use of fire in farmlands, using organic matter as a source of nutrients, increasing the productivity of agricultural systems and increasing the variety of plants in farmlands with fruit and forest species. In addition, the communities discuss the different ways of marketing production, as well as the increasing value of sociobiodiversity products from family farming.
RESULT ACHIEVED
The results achieved include support for the implementation and maintenance of agroforestry systems in the traditional quilombola communities of Quilombo da Fazenda, in Ubatuba/SP, and Quilombo do Campinho, in Paraty/RJ, through joint efforts, led mainly by young people. Visits to the agroforestry systems were carried out as a means of sharing and building knowledge about their management. In addition, equipment and tools dedicated to the management of agroforestry systems were acquired, aiming to reduce the work during the implementation of the necessary management practices. Seedlings and other essential elements were also acquired for the recovery of agroforestry systems impacted by events resulting from the climate crisis.