Thesis (LLD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this dissertation is to conceptualise the principle of "environmental justice". In doing so it attempts to determine its meaning, assess its possible use for the protection of environmental rights in the light of the South African Bill of Rights, and draw, in a comparative manner, on examples from two other jurisdictions, namely the United States of America (USA) and India. In the first part of the study "environmental justice" is defined and thereafter the ways in which the idea of "environmental justice" has found expression in the USA and Indian jurisprudence as well as in legislative and administrative practices in these two countries are analysed comparatively. In reviewing the US experience the study concludes that the courts have shown a conspicuous measure of self-restraint in the conceptualisation of environmental justice. Due to its non-activist and formalistic approach, the judiciary has failed to address systemic environmental inequities, and to carve out remedies whereby environmental injustice could have been dealt with in an effective and meaningful way. The more activist approach of the Indian judiciary, on the other hand, has led to more effective protection of the environment and of people adversely affected by environmental degradation. The judiciary has imposed positive obligations on the state to carry out its social duties as laid down in the Directive Principles of the Indian Constitution. Although India does not have a constitutionally entrenched environmental right, the courts have interpreted the right to life proactively so as to include quality of life. The study concludes by examining possible applications of the principle of environmental justice for the protection of environmental rights in South Africa, assessing the law as it stands and exploring new avenues in the light of the Bill of Rights. In this respect the following guidelines are proposed by this study: o Environmental problems in South Africa must be placed within their specific historical and political context. Consequently environmental injustice must be understood as a form of inequity that impacts on people disproportionately on the basis of race and socio-economic status. The concept "environment" can therefore not be narrowly understood, whether it is being dealt with in the Constitution, legislation or common law. It must be recognised that the concept goes beyond ecosystems and that it includes a multiplicity of relationships, in many of which humans are the focal point. o Environmental justice claims in South Africa may best be framed as constitutional claims. Regard should be had not only to the environmental right in section 24 of the Constitution, but also to other rights that support the notion of environmental justice, such as the rights to life, equality and dignity. o Judicial activism is a key to the promotion of environmental justice. The judiciary plays an important role in ensuring that the state and other actors fulfil their obligation to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights. Transformation requires a judiciary that is prepared to reconsider the traditional boundaries of the doctrine of separation of powers and to lay down directives for other branches of government, in particular the executive. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie proefskrif is om die beginsel "omgewingsgeregtigheid" te konsepsualiseer. Die studie poog dus om die betekenis van hierdie beginsel, sowel as die moontlike gebruik daarvan in die beskerming van omgewingsregte vas te stel in die lig van die Suid Afrikaanse Handves van Regte. Verder poog die studie om deur middel van regsvergelyking insigte te bekom uit voorbeelde in twee jurisdiksies, die Verenigde State van Amerika en Indië. "Omgewingsgeregtigheid" word in die eerste deel van die proefskrif gedefinieer. In die tweede deel word die wyse waarop omgewingsgeregtigheid uitdrukking vind in Amerikaanse en Indiese reg, sowel as in statutêre en administratiewe praktyk vergelykend geanaliseer. In die beoordeling van die Amerikaanse ervaring word tot die slotsom gekom dat die howe 'n ooglopende mate van selfbeheersing toon in die konsepsualisering van omgewingsgeregtigheid. As gevolg van die regsbank se nie-aktivistiese en formalistiese benadering, het dit in gebreke gebly om sistemiese omgewingsongelykhede aan te spreek, en om remedies te ontwikkel wat omgewingsgeregtigheid op 'n effektiewe en betekenisvolle wyse aanspreek. Die aktivistiese benadering van die Indiese regsbank aan die ander kant, lei tot meer effektiewe beskerming van die omgewing en diegene wat nadelig geaffekteer word deur omgewingsbeskadiging. Die regsbank plaas positiewe verpligtinge op die staat sodat die staat sy sosiale pligte kan nakom soos bepaal in die Direktiewe Beginselsin die Indiese Grondwet. Alhoewel Indië nie oor 'n grondwetlik verskanste omgewingsreg beskik nie, het die howe die reg op lewe pro-aktief geinterpreteer sodat dit ook die reg op lewenskwaliteit insluit. Die studie ondersoek verder die moontlike toepassings van die beginsel van omgewingsgeregtigheid vir die beskerming van omgewingsregte in Suid Afrika. Dit beoordeel die huidige reg en ondersoek nuwe rigtings in die lig van die Handves van Regte. In hierdie opsig word die volgende riglyne neergelê in hierdie studie: o Omgewingsprobleme in Suid Afrika moet binne 'n spesifieke historiese en politieke raamwerk geplaas word. Gevolglik moet omgewingsongeregtigheid verstaan word as 'n vorm van onbillikheid wat mense op grond van ras en sosioekonomiese status benadeel. D Die konsep "omgewing" behoort dus nie beperkend geinterpreteer te word nie, hetsy dit gebruik word in die grondwet, wetgewing of die gemene reg. Erkenning moet gegeeword daaraan dat die begrip wyer is as ekosisteme en dat dit 'n veelvoud van verhoudings insluit, baie waarvan mense die middelpunt vorm. D Eise rakende omgewingsgeregtigheid in Suid Afrika moet beskou word as grondwetlike eise. Nie net kom die omgewingsreg vervat in artike124 van die Grondwet ter sprake nie, maar ook aan ander regte soos die reg op lewe, gelykheid en menswaardigheid wat omgewingsgeregtigheid ondersteun. D Regterlike aktivisme is die sleutel tot die bevordering van omgewingsgregtigheid. Die regsbank speel 'n belangrike rol deurdat dit moet verseker dat die staat en ander rolspelers hul plig nakom om die regte in die Handves van Regte te respekteer, te beskerm en te bevorder. Transformasie vereis dus 'n regsbank wat bereid is om die tradisionele grense van die beginsel van magskeiding te heroorweeg en om riglyne neer te lê vir ander takke van die regering, spesifiek die uitvoerende gesag.

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

This study analyzes the proposed passenger rail line expansion along US Interstate Highway 35 in Denton County, Texas. A multi-dimensional approach was used to investigate potential environmental justice (EJ) consequences from the expansion of the transportation corridor. This study used empirical and historical evidence to identify and prioritize sites for potential EJ concerns. Citizen participation in the decision making process was also evaluated. The findings of this research suggest that the southeast Denton community has the highest potential for environmental justice concerns. This study concludes by offering suggestions for an effective public participation process. These include the incorporation of a community's local history into an environmental justice assessment, and tailoring the public planning process to the demographics and culture of the residents.

La présence ou l'installation d'équipements générateurs d'impacts négatifs, comme les aéroports, les centrales électriques, etc. suscitent sur les territoires riverains et au- delà de nombreuses contestations. Divers modes de résolution ont pu voir le jour recourant généralement à de nouvelles formes de concertation, sans toutefois que cette entreprise débouche sur une distribution spatiale plus « juste » des aménités et désaménités environnementales. Au travers des compensations territoriales (discrimination positive à l'embauche des riverains, offre de formations en leur faveur pour les emplois développés par l'infrastructure, aménagement d'espaces verts…) se dissimule l'ambition non seulement de lutter contre les nuisances mais aussi de redistribuer les externalités positives dans le but d'une meilleure équité. Mesures apportées principalement à la collectivité, elles sont en général le résultat de négociations entre différents acteurs : représentants des collectivités locales, exploitants/aménageurs, société civile – associations, syndicats souvent regroupés en coalition. Les compromis compensatoires tentent de concilier des domaines aux légitimités et aux fonctionnements apparemment antagoniques (justice sociale, équité spatiale et efficacité environnementale). Il s'agit cependant de se demander, au travers d'une mise en parallèle de cas d'étude aux Etats-Unis, en Allemagne au Canada et d'une approche synthétique sur la France, si ces outils d'action publique/privée participent réellement à la résorption des injustices environnementales et spatiales dans la mesure où l'utilisation de la compensation socio-environnementale n'est pas sans soulever des questions d'éthique / The siting or the presence of a polluting facility like airports or power plants arouses protests at local and even at regional/national levels. To tackle these environmental conflicts, different solutions have been used and consultation has become an essential procedural component of the siting process. But these initiatives haven't allowed a better spatial distribution of environmental impacts and benefits. “Local community benefits” (affirmative action to promote the hiring of new employees towards residents, financing of community centers…) aim not only at reducing environmental pollutions, but also at improving the allocation of facility benefits to improve spatial and social equity. These collective-based measures result frequently from negotiation with the involved stakeholders: representatives of local governments, of developers, and of the inhabitants – associations, unions, which often strive to create a coalition so as to be more powerful. Compensatory agreements could be therefore a possible way of connecting different dimensions of sustainable development (social justice, spatial equity and environmental efficiency), even if they have apparently antagonistic legitimacy and differently work. In studying different field cases (in the United States, Canada, Germany and a global approach in France) we wonder if this private/public tool can help reducing environmental and spatial injustices, although compensatory measures raise up some ethical questions

The purpose of this study is to identify, analyze, and describe the social outcomes that may be affected by the environmental risks generated by infrastructure projects; to examine the ways in which vulnerability and exposure to hazards may increase risk in neighborhoods over time; and to examine the implications of addressing the exacerbation of exposure to natural hazards within the traditional environmental justice framework. The Industrial Canal and Lower Ninth Ward were selected as the subjects of this case study because the canal has existed on the perimeter of the neighborhood for nearly one century, isolating Lower Ninth Ward residents from the rest of New Orleans and significantly contributing to two catastrophic flood events. The findings of the study are as follows: (1) the environmental risks associated with infrastructure projects can be magnified when imposed on an already vulnerable neighborhood, and may ultimately result in hazard events which cause displacement and disinvestment. Such consequences can have an impact on micro-level (individual and household) and macro-level (neighborhood) social outcomes; (2) vulnerability and exposure to hazards can initiate a pattern of increased risk that intensifies vulnerability to subsequent hazard events; and, finally, (3) the parallels between the causes and consequences of traditional environmental justice issues and the exacerbation of exposure to natural hazards implies that framing issues relative to natural hazards as matters of justice and articulating the social consequences of not mitigating such hazards can be an excellent way of educating stakeholders and lobbying for resources.

Depuis le début des années 1990, le Brésil est un laboratoire à ciel ouvert du développement durable. Il essaye, seul ou avec différents partenaires de mettre en place des politiques territoriales soucieuses de traiter conjointement les questions sociales, environnementales et économiques. Parmi la multitude d’expérimentations [zonages à plusieurs échelles, corridors écologiques, aires de préservation intégrée…], les projets locaux de développement durable ont bénéficié d’une attention particulière car, mis bouts à bouts, ils étaient susceptibles de modifier le visage de l’Amazonie. En influant sur les comportements individuels et en proposant des modèles de développement socioéconomiques adaptés aux populations locales, ces projets espéraient rattraper les retards accusés par cette région tout en évitant des pressions supplémentaires sur ses écosystèmes. Cette thèse se propose d’évaluer les changements territoriaux inhérents à l’implantation de ces différents programmes de développement durable par l’entremise d’un système d’indicateurs : IDURAMAZ. Celui-ci a été appliqué dans huit localités afin de mesurer les progrès enregistrés au niveau de : [i] la qualité de vie, [ii] la protection de l’environnement, [iii] l’articulation entre les besoins du présent et les perspectives futures, [iv] l’organisation sociale. Les principes méthodologiques et idéels ayant guidé la création de ce système composé de 44 sous-indicateurs sont abondamment détaillés tout au long de la réflexion. En plus des résultats obtenus dans chacun des huit terrains, sont présentés quelques éléments de réflexion sur la manière de rendre IDURAMAZ plus performant. / Since the early 1990’s, Brazil has become an open-air laboratory of sustainable development. It has engaged in implementing, in solo attempts or through international cooperation, to implement territorial polices that jointly integrate social, environmental and economical questions. Among the high number of experiments carried out [such as different scales zonings, ecological corridors, areas of integrated preservation,…], the local projects of sustainable development have received particular interest because they are supposed to change the face of the Amazon if taken together as a sum of integrated initiatives. By having an influence on the individual behaviour and by offering appropriate models of socio-economic development to the local populations, those projects hoped to catch up the deficits of the region’s development, at the same time avoiding higher pressures on its ecosystems. This thesis aims to evaluate the territorial changes linked to the execution of these different programs of sustainable development through an indicators system : IDURAMAZ. The latter was tested in eight communities in order to measure the progresses accomplished in : [i] quality of life ; [ii] environmental protection ; [iii] link between the present needs and the future perspectives ; [iv] social organisation. The methodological and conceptual principles that have guided the creation of this system that contains 44 sub-indicators are detailed in the discussion. On top of the results obtained in each of the eight communities, some elements are presented on the discussion on how to render IDURAMAZ more efficient in the future.

A presente pesquisa tomou por objeto de estudo central a dimensão social (mais conhecida como \'componente antrópico\' ou \'componentes do meio socioeconômico\') consubstanciada na prática e no discurso de avaliação de impacto ambiental. Buscou-se analisar as ausências, lacunas, insuficiências, distorções e omissões ativas no trato dessa dimensão social, procurando compreendê-las como indícios da configuração momentânea das fronteiras do \'social\' na regulação ambiental de projetos no Brasil, enquanto construção histórica atravessada por interesses conflitantes entre os envolvidos nas disputas por hegemonia do campo ambiental, sem perder de vista seu diálogo com outros campos do espaço social, como o político e o econômico. Através dessa chave interpretativa, foi possível retomar as origens e características históricas que conformaram os sentidos dominantes de termos como \'meio ambiente\', \'impacto ambiental\' e \'atingido\' na regulação pública e na atividade de avaliação de impacto, subsumindo da equação os impactos e processos sociais relacionados à implantação de grandes projetos. A pesquisa argumenta, nesse sentido, que ao componente social tem sido atribuído um papel marginal, frágil e bastante delimitado espacial e temporalmente, corroborando com críticas históricas a este instrumento de planejamento. Diagnósticos empobrecidos, avaliações que escamoteiam a complexidade de impactos sociais cumulativos, indiretos e de segunda ordem (cujas marcas são o longo prazo, a fluidez das fronteiras espaciais, a imprevisibilidade, a intangibilidade e a dificuldade de valoração monetária) e medidas mitigadoras e compensatórias insuficientes são ilustrados empiricamente pela pesquisa, tomando o estudo de impacto ambiental de um projeto de anel rodoviário recente, situado no Litoral Norte do estado de São Paulo, como matéria-prima principal de análise. Aliado a uma metodologia investigativa, baseada no levantamento de documentos oficiais do processo licenciatório, a pesquisa procurou identificar os meandros, os mecanismos, as operações e os filtros que recolocam o \'social\' como parte subordinada da avaliação de impacto ambiental, dando pouquíssimo relevo a questões fundamentais, como: fluxos migratórios, crescimento demográfico, demanda adicional sobre infraestrutura e serviços urbanos, transformações da paisagem e novas configurações urbanas, mudança de perfil sociocultural e econômico em nível regional, etc. Em paralelo, após extensa revisão bibliográfica nacional e internacional na área de avaliação de impacto social (que serviu de embasamento teórico-conceitual à pesquisa), procurou-se averiguar em que medida as novas formulações discursivas emergentes, tanto no campo ambiental quanto no subcampo profissional da avaliação de impacto, nos últimos trinta anos, têm encontrado ressonância na prática da avaliação de impacto ambiental de projetos, no país - i.e., como têm sido apropriadas por agentes reguladores e consultores técnicos responsáveis pelos EIAs. Por fim, a pesquisa buscou tecer reflexões sobre as potencialidades e limitações inerentes à avaliação de impacto ambiental como instrumento de planejamento regional, integrado, democrático, fundado em princípios de equidade ambiental e no reconhecimento das demandas de grupos sociais atingidos. / The present study has focused on the social dimension (better known as \'anthropic component\' or \'components of the socioeconomic environment\'), based on the practice and discourse of environmental impact assessment. It sought to analyze the absences, gaps, inadequacies, distortions and omissions that are active in the treatment of this social dimension, seeking to understand them as signs of the momentary configuration of the boundaries of the \'social\' in the environmental regulation of projects in Brazil, as a historical construction crossed by interests Conflict between those involved in environmental hegemony disputes, without losing sight of their dialogue with other fields of social space, such as political and economic. Through this interpretive key, it was possible to return to the origins and historical characteristics that conformed the dominant meanings of terms such as \'environment\', \'environmental impact\' and \'reached\' in public regulation and impact assessment activity, subsuming impacts And social processes related to the implementation of large projects. The research argues, in this sense, that the social component has been assigned a marginal, fragile and quite delimited spatial and temporal role, corroborating historical criticism of this planning instrument. Impoverished diagnostics, assessments that eschew the complexity of cumulative, indirect and second-order social impacts (whose long-term marks, fluidity of spatial boundaries, unpredictability, intangibility and difficulty in monetary valuation) and insufficient mitigating and compensatory measures Are empirically illustrated by the survey, taking the environmental impact study of a recent road ring project, located in the North Coast of the state of São Paulo, as the main raw material for analysis. In addition to an investigative methodology, based on the collection of official documents of the licensing process, the research sought to identify the meanders, mechanisms, operations and filters that replace the \'social\' as a subordinate part of the environmental impact assessment, giving very little emphasis to Such as: migration flows, population growth, additional demand on infrastructure and urban services, landscape transformations and new urban configurations, socio-cultural and economic profile change at the regional level, etc. In parallel, after extensive national and international literature review in the area of social impact assessment (which served as a theoretical-conceptual basis for research), it was sought to determine to what extent new emerging discursive formulations, both in the environmental field and in the professional subfield Of the impact assessment over the last thirty years have found resonance in the practice of assessing the environmental impact of projects in the country - ie as they have been appropriated by regulators and technical consultants responsible for EIAs. Finally, the research sought to reflect on the potentialities and limitations inherent to environmental impact assessment as a regional, integrated, democratic planning tool based on principles of environmental equity and the recognition of the demands of affected social groups.

O objetivo desta pesquisa é estudar a análise espacial da desigualdade ambiental no município de São Paulo/SP. A desigualdade ambiental é o princípio pelo qual, grupos de pessoas sejam étnicos, raciais ou de classe suporte uma parcela desproporcional das conseqüências ambientais negativas das operações econômicas, de políticas e programas federais, estaduais e locais, bem como resultantes da ausência ou omissão de tais políticas. Os dados utilizados para análise são o Censo 2000, realizado pelo IBGE, uma imagem de satélite Landsat ETM+, a carta geotécnica do município de São Paulo, produzida pelo IPT e o levantamento de áreas contaminadas realizado pela Cetesb. São consideradas as condições de abastecimento de água, de esgotamento sanitário, de coleta de lixo, a arborização urbana, a ocorrência de inundações e/ou escorregamentos e a presença de reservatórios de retenção das águas pluviais (piscinões) e áreas contaminadas. Para a análise e integração dos dados é utilizado um Sistema de Informação Geográfica com funções de processamento de imagens. / The purpose of this work consists of studying the spatial analysis of the environmental inequality in São Paulo city. Environmental inequality is the principle that a specific social group (eg. ethical, racial or economic) is disproportionately affected by environmental hazards. In this study we used: 2000 Census data (released by IBGE); Landsat ETM+ image of bands 3 and 4; a geotechnical map of São Paulo (IPT) and a list of contaminated point sources carried out by Cetesb. Urban infrastructure facilities such as water supply coverage; sewerage system; garbage collection; urban green area; landslides and flood occurrences; presence of piscinões and contaminated area were employed. The analysis of these data was undertaken using a Geographic Information System (GIS) integrated with Remote Sensing image processing.

Buscou-se nesta pesquisa entender as relações entre gênero e meio ambiente no cotidiano das mulheres catadoras de materiais recicláveis de uma cooperativa do município de São Paulo. Para tanto, procurou-se compreender essa relação a partir dos espaços de moradia e trabalho das catadoras. Como fundamentação teórica foi adotada a Divisão Sexual do Trabalho e a Justiça Ambiental. O método utilizado foi o Estudo de Caso Estendido e a técnica de coleta de dados primários a Entrevista Narrativa. Foram entrevistadas dezesseis mulheres catadoras cooperadas. Para a interpretação dos resultados seguiu-se os postulados da Análise de Narrativa. Este estudo mostra evidências da situação de injustiça ambiental nos espaços de moradia e trabalho das catadoras entrevistadas. Além disso, demonstra que a dupla jornada de trabalho dessas mulheres leva a uma injustiça ambiental por gênero na catação. Também foi observada a relação entre a maternidade e o ingresso e permanência das catadoras na atividade. A análise da dupla jornada de trabalho das mulheres permitiu identificar três trajetórias distintas entre as catadoras entrevistadas: catadoras estruturais, catadoras conjunturais ocasionais e catadoras conjunturais por conveniência. A partir das diferenças e similaridades observadas entre os três grupos de mulheres catadoras percebeu-se que fatores como a trajetória familiar, vulnerabilidade social e segregação espacial urbana foram os principais motivos que as levaram à catação. Verificou-se, ainda, que as mulheres estão mais expostas aos riscos ambientais justamente pela dupla jornada de trabalho. Dessa maneira, considerou-se que a presença dos fatores de injustiça ambiental na dupla jornada de trabalho caracteriza o que foi denominado neste estudo de dupla jornada de injustiça ambiental. A jornada reprodutiva associada aos riscos ambientais ligados à habitação e a jornada produtiva referente aos riscos ocupacionais e à precariedade no trabalho. / This thesis aimed understand the relationship between gender and environment among women waste pickers of a cooperative of recyclable materials in São Paulo. To understand this relationship, the concept of Environmental Justice was chosen as framework, showing the disproportional dynamic of environmental conflicts that affect the most marginalized and vulnerable people, marked with social inequality due to class, race and gender. In addition, studies discussing the Sexual Division of Labor were also used, considering that women are particularly disadvantaged because of their double burden, when the reproductive work is free and invisible and the productive work is devalued. The Extended Case Method was used as methodology and the women cooperative was observed for three years. The data collection was made using the narrative interview technique and sixteen women waste pickers were interviewed. The data analysis used narrative analysis postulates. The results showed that the women waste pickers who are spatially segregated and residents of Jardim das Flores slum are exposed to multiple risks: geomorphological risks of slipping and washouts; proximity of high-voltage power lines and; low infrastructure conditions linked to sanitation and garbage collection. Due their reproductive shift, the women spend more time in home and consequently in the slum, rising their vulnerability of those risks. Further, the wish to conciliate the double burden was also responsible for their work as waste pickers, with a female perpetuation in the scavenging activity. Then, the women are more exposed to occupational risks and the burden of environmental inequality in recycling chain. In conclusion, women waste pickers are exposed to a double burden of environmental injustice: one related to habitational risks and one to precariousness of labor and occupational hazards. Thus, there is a interweaving of social inequalities historically imposed by patriarchal logic to keep the foundations of the current economic system, and the black women, householder and poor are who bear the environmental damage to maintain that system.

Este trabalho trata da narrativa de resistência que o Movimento de Pequenos Agricultores-MPA constituiu para resistir aos processos de expropriação das sementes dos camponeses, no estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil. O objetivo é analisar como o projeto de sementes do movimento influenciou a construção da soberania alimentar por meio de suas ações junto às instituições. Como instrumentos metodológicos fontes primárias e secundárias foram utilizadas, levando em consideração o referencial teórico da ecologia política, focado em conceitos de conflitos socioambientais, justiça ambiental e soberania alimentar. Assim, foi realizada pesquisa de campo, nos anos de 2015 e 2016, nos estados do Distrito Federal, Santa Catarina e Rio Grande do Sul, com diferentes atores que participaram do processo. Da análise constata-se que o movimento por meio da cooperativa Oestebio, desenvolveu a experiência de massificação de sementes crioulas e varietais a partir de uma ampla articulação de ações, alianças com instituições e outros movimentos, influenciando e sendo influenciado por políticas públicas e ações do Estado para constituir a soberania genética com base no projeto de soberania alimentar. Ao teceram uma longa teia de relações, articulando os campos político, econômico, científico e socioambiental, ancorado no diálogo constante nos diferentes níveis local, regional, nacional e internacional - constituíram uma experiência portadora da soberania alimentar dentro dos limites atuais da economia política contemporânea, expropriadora de recursos e geradora de conflitos e injustiças socioambientais. / This thesis is about the resistance narrative of Small Farmers Movement has established to resist to expropriation of peasants seeds, in the Santa Catarina state, Brazil. The goal is to analyze how the project of seed of the movement has impacted the food sovereignty throughout its actions with institutions. Primary and secondary sources were used as methodological tools taking account the political ecology approach, focusing on concepts such as socio-environmental conflicts, environmental justice and food sovereignty. A field work was conducted, in 2015 and 2016, in Distrito Federal, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul states, interviewing several actors who took part of this process. It was verified that the movement by means of Oestebio cooperative developed the experience of multliplication of native and varietals seeds throughout a broad articulation of actions, alliances with institutions and others social movements. It has influenced and has received influence of public policies and State actions to constitute genetic sovereignty based on its food sovereignty project. By weaving a long web of relations, connecting the political, economical, scientific and socio-environmental fields, based on a frequent dialogue in different levels local, regional, national and international they built an experience of food sovereignty inside current limits of the political economy, expropriator of resources and producer of socio-environmental conflicts and injustices.