PEASANT WOMEN AND CARENESS FOR THE LAND

ETHNOEDAPHOLOGICAL STUDY REGARDING PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES

Abstract

The role of peasant women as promoters of environmentally friendly food production processes is a consensus in the literature on the subject. However, there remains a research gap that seeks to understand in greater depth the factors that determine female conservationist practices. This research helps to fill this gap through an ethno-edaphological study with peasant women about their perceptions with regard to caring for the land. The results presented derive from a process of participant observation and semi-structured interviews with peasant women from Quilombo Campo Grande (Campo do Meio-MG). The results obtained suggest that caring for the land symbolizes, in addition to sustainable management, an act of resistance, emancipation and consistent social changes with regard to nature conservation and food sovereignty.