A dimensão ecológica da agricultura urbana no município de Juiz de Fora/MG

Abstract

The urban agriculture (UA) has been the object of recent studies due to its importance from the social and policy sciences and its location within the limits of contemporary cities. Their implications for Urban Ecology ranging from the maintenance of green areas and interaction with wildlife, to the perpetuation of traditional knowledge of the population, through such issues as, food security of its inhabitants, use of natural resources and urban sustainability. Understanding how Urban Agriculture is embedded in the Urban Ecology, create integrated proposals to other environmental issues that will guide the city into a sustainable future. This study aimed to understand the ecological dimension of the Urban Agriculture, within urban and in suburban areas of the District Headquarters of the municipality of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil, analyzing how the practice of Urban Agriculture occurs and argue with the ecology of this city. Were found 179 areas of UA occurrence in Juiz de Fora indicated by the informants, separated into specific sectors in the implementation of this research: Social Municipal Projects, Schools (municipal, state, federal and private), Institutions (public, religious, welfare and basic health units), Commercial production areas, and Productive backyards (neighborhood of Monte Castelo). Semi-structured interviews and visits were carried out in a total of 77 areas. From the empirical result, it was possible to categorize the urban farmers of Juiz de Fora (rural migrants, elderly, teachers, students, beneficiaries of projects and commercial farmers) who joined the agricultural activity to an improvement in quality of life, having pride of their productions, happiness and appreciation of scenic beauty. The ecological interactions occur in several ways, being observed positive points as the smaller distance between production and final consumer, the maintenance and creation of green areas and permeable soil, low use of agrochemicals, supply of food and habitat for fauna individuals, diversity of plant specimens, use of organic waste through composting (still low), the approach of people with the green and use of the UA as a tool for food, citizen and environmental education. Among the negative points raised are: the use of contaminated water, the use of some pesticides and chemical fertilizer, and little use of organic waste. The majority of problems related to bad use of natural resources by farmers are due to lack of education, training and monitoring. This research found that urban agricultural areas in Juiz de Fora are places of great importance for those involved, for the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity, for the maintenance of traditional knowledge, and are fundamental in the search for sustainability of this city.