No início dos anos 2000, pela articulação de diversos movimentos sociais na região Norte do Brasil, principalmente pelo Grupo de Trabalho da Amazônia (GTA) e pela Federação dos Trabalhadores Rurais (Fetaet), foi proposto o Programa de Desenvolvimento Socioambiental da Produção Familiar Rural da Amazônia (Proambiente). Composto por 11 polos pioneiros espalhados pela Amazônia Legal, teve como principal objetivo fomentar uma transição agroecológica para o agricultor familiar nesta região. Iniciado em 2000, como proposta dos movimentos sociais, ele entrou na agenda política em 2003, sendo um dos programas do Plano Plurianual (PPA) 2004/2007. Em 2008 ele não entrou novamente no PPA e teve seu fim, ao ser transformado em ação dentro do Programa Governamental Agrobiodiversidade. O objetivo geral da pesquisa foi analisar a contribuição do Proambiente para o desenvolvimento rural sustentável, especificamente em um polo no Bico do Papagaio, localizado ao norte do estado de Tocantins. Foram levantados dados secundários e primários por meio de trabalho de campo realizado nos meses de junho e julho de 2017, para verificar as mudanças de uso da terra e resgatar o desenvolvimento do programa pela memória dos agricultores, técnicos, ex-coordenadores e gerentes. Como principais resultados, percebe-se algumas dificuldades em relação ao avanço da agroecologia no território: a questão do reconhecimento dos produtos da agricultura familiar dentro dos canais de comercialização, a migração dos jovens para as cidades, o constante braço de ferro entre a agricultura familiar e o agronegócio e a conjuntura política econômica atual desfavorável à expansão e fortalecimento da agricultura familiar e da agroecologia no Brasil. Por outro lado, os dados levantados apontam para o grande triunfo do Proambiente: a transição agroecológica proposta dentro do programa aconteceu no território mesmo sem apoio governamental, pelos agricultores do Bico do Papagaio e houve uma maior conscientização sobre a importância do controle do uso do fogo e da conservação ambiental como um todo. / In the beginning of the year 2000, through the articulation of several social movements in the North region of Brazil, mainly by the Amazon Working Group (GTA) and by the Federation of Rural Workers Unions in Tocantins (Fetaet), was proposed the Socio-Environmental Development of Family Agriculture Plan (Proambiente). Composed by 11 pioneering poles spread throughout the Legal Amazon, its main objective was to promote an agroecological transition for the family farmer. Initiated in 2000 as a proposal of social movements, it was included in the political agenda discussions in 2003, being one of the programs of the Pluriannual Plan (PPA) 2004/2007. In 2008, it did not include in the PPA anymore and it was extinguished, becoming a project within other programs. The general objective of this research was to analyze the contribution of Proambiente to sustainable rural development, specifically in a particular pole the Bico do Papagaio, located in the north of the state of Tocantins. Secondary and primary data were collected through fieldwork conducted in June and July (2017) to verify changes in land use and to rescue the development of the program by the memory of farmers, technicians, former coordinators and managers. As main results, there are some difficulties for the agroecology advances in the territory: the lack of recognition of rural products within commercialization channels, the migration of young people to the cities, the constant struggles between family farming and agribusiness and the current economic policy environment unfavorable to the expansion and strengthening of family agriculture and agroecology in Brazil. On the other hand, the data collected point to the great triumph of the Proambiente: the proposed agroecological transition within the program happened in the territory even without government support, by the farmers of the Papagaio Bico, and there was also a greater awareness of the importance of use control fire and environmental conservation as a whole.

The eddy-covariance method was used to measure net ecosystem productivity over three adjacent fields from 2009 to 2011: two annual cropping systems (oat-canola-oat and hay-oat-fallow) recently converted from perennial cropping, and a perennial hay/pasture. We compared the management practises, determined the net carbon budget, and examined the effects of inter-annual variability. Carbon accumulation began earlier in the spring and continued later in the fall at the perennial site, compared with the annual crop sites, due to a longer growing season and continual plant cover. Cumulative cropping season net ecosystem productivity at the perennial site ranged from 40 to 240 g C m^(-2) because of variable weather. Including harvest removals and manure additions, the perennial site gained 120 g carbon m^(-2) and the annual sites lost 240 and 415 g carbon m^(-2), respectively, over the 30-month period. This indicates that the annual cropping systems would decrease soil carbon at this location.

The aim of the research presented in this dissertation was to further the implementation of push-pull for control of Eldana saccharina on sugarcane in the Midlands North region, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Eldana saccharina, an indigenous stem borer, is the most damaging pest of sugarcane in South Africa, and sustainable control has still not been achieved. The push-pull strategy, a form of habitat management, has been developed for E. saccharina and is recommended as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. Implementation of this strategy for both large- and small-scale farmers was facilitated through mixed methods social research. It included a novel exploratory network analysis to understand the process of technology adoption by farmers. Surveys showed that large-scale farmers have a good knowledge of E. saccharina, IPM and push-pull but that they needed more practical knowledge for implementation of the strategy. Farmers recommended experiential learning opportunities such as field days and model farms to get to know more about this technology. Despite demonstrating a positive attitude towards push-pull, farmers perceived it to be a ‘hassle’ and this is potentially the biggest barrier to its adoption. However, with suitable learning opportunities for farmers and good support for planting inputs, implementation of push-pull is likely to succeed. Sugarcane was shown to play an important role in the livelihoods and farming systems of small-scale growers. They did not perceive E. saccharina as a serious production constraint and had poor knowledge of the pest and its control. Extension for small-scale growers in this region should focus primarily on weed management and on reducing input costs, but still raising awareness of the increasing threat of E. saccharina. On-farm push-pull field trials showed a significant reduction of E. saccharina damage on two farms. Mean percentage damaged internodes decreased from 4.1% to 2.7% and from 1.7% to 1.1% in the presence of the repellent grass species, Melinis minutiflora. Where farmers did not manage their crops well, push-pull was not effective. It is therefore crucial that push-pull within an IPM framework be implemented together with good crop management practices. Stem borer surveys in wetlands on sugarcane farms revealed a high diversity of indigenous stem borers and parasitoids, including a stem borer species, Pirateolea piscator, which may pose a threat to crops in the future. These findings, together with a literature review on the significance of on-farm biodiversity and ecosystem services, demonstrated the value which wetlands have for pest management on sugarcane farms. Wetland health assessments were used to develop a tool for farmers to assess and utilise the wetlands on their farms for improved management of E. saccharina. This study highlights the importance of a farmer-participatory approach to implementation of knowledge-intensive farming practices such as push-pull. The importance of wetlands for providing pest regulatory services on sugarcane farms has shown that environmental sustainability needs to become a fundamental principle of farming and agricultural research. Participatory implementation of push-pull, as recommended in this dissertation, could act as a driving force for agroecology in the South African sugar industry and move sustainable farming practices off the pages of journals and manuals onto farmers’ fields. / Thesis (MSc (Zoology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The aim of the research presented in this dissertation was to further the implementation of push-pull for control of Eldana saccharina on sugarcane in the Midlands North region, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Eldana saccharina, an indigenous stem borer, is the most damaging pest of sugarcane in South Africa, and sustainable control has still not been achieved. The push-pull strategy, a form of habitat management, has been developed for E. saccharina and is recommended as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. Implementation of this strategy for both large- and small-scale farmers was facilitated through mixed methods social research. It included a novel exploratory network analysis to understand the process of technology adoption by farmers. Surveys showed that large-scale farmers have a good knowledge of E. saccharina, IPM and push-pull but that they needed more practical knowledge for implementation of the strategy. Farmers recommended experiential learning opportunities such as field days and model farms to get to know more about this technology. Despite demonstrating a positive attitude towards push-pull, farmers perceived it to be a ‘hassle’ and this is potentially the biggest barrier to its adoption. However, with suitable learning opportunities for farmers and good support for planting inputs, implementation of push-pull is likely to succeed. Sugarcane was shown to play an important role in the livelihoods and farming systems of small-scale growers. They did not perceive E. saccharina as a serious production constraint and had poor knowledge of the pest and its control. Extension for small-scale growers in this region should focus primarily on weed management and on reducing input costs, but still raising awareness of the increasing threat of E. saccharina. On-farm push-pull field trials showed a significant reduction of E. saccharina damage on two farms. Mean percentage damaged internodes decreased from 4.1% to 2.7% and from 1.7% to 1.1% in the presence of the repellent grass species, Melinis minutiflora. Where farmers did not manage their crops well, push-pull was not effective. It is therefore crucial that push-pull within an IPM framework be implemented together with good crop management practices. Stem borer surveys in wetlands on sugarcane farms revealed a high diversity of indigenous stem borers and parasitoids, including a stem borer species, Pirateolea piscator, which may pose a threat to crops in the future. These findings, together with a literature review on the significance of on-farm biodiversity and ecosystem services, demonstrated the value which wetlands have for pest management on sugarcane farms. Wetland health assessments were used to develop a tool for farmers to assess and utilise the wetlands on their farms for improved management of E. saccharina. This study highlights the importance of a farmer-participatory approach to implementation of knowledge-intensive farming practices such as push-pull. The importance of wetlands for providing pest regulatory services on sugarcane farms has shown that environmental sustainability needs to become a fundamental principle of farming and agricultural research. Participatory implementation of push-pull, as recommended in this dissertation, could act as a driving force for agroecology in the South African sugar industry and move sustainable farming practices off the pages of journals and manuals onto farmers’ fields. / Thesis (MSc (Zoology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The eddy-covariance method was used to measure net ecosystem productivity over three adjacent fields from 2009 to 2011: two annual cropping systems (oat-canola-oat and hay-oat-fallow) recently converted from perennial cropping, and a perennial hay/pasture. We compared the management practises, determined the net carbon budget, and examined the effects of inter-annual variability. Carbon accumulation began earlier in the spring and continued later in the fall at the perennial site, compared with the annual crop sites, due to a longer growing season and continual plant cover. Cumulative cropping season net ecosystem productivity at the perennial site ranged from 40 to 240 g C m^(-2) because of variable weather. Including harvest removals and manure additions, the perennial site gained 120 g carbon m^(-2) and the annual sites lost 240 and 415 g carbon m^(-2), respectively, over the 30-month period. This indicates that the annual cropping systems would decrease soil carbon at this location.

Submitted by Leonardo Cavalcante (leo.ocavalcante@gmail.com) on 2018-04-19T19:48:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Arquivototal.pdf: 5618410 bytes, checksum: db569bd7789c53f95aa7ba416b274938 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-19T19:48:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Arquivototal.pdf: 5618410 bytes, checksum: db569bd7789c53f95aa7ba416b274938 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-24 / In the peasant agriculture in the region of Sertão do Pajeú, state of Pernambuco, the women participate of the production of foods, election and cares with the seeds, improvement, handling of biodiversity, commercialization and generation of income of the family. The women farmers are also the sole responsible for the domestic work and for the family's welfare and quality of life. In addition, many women put into practice the traditional knowledge passed on by other women practices healthy relationships compatible with more equitable gender relations. Thus, this work aims to understand how the process of agroecological transition, under way in the region's agroecological yards, modifies the sertanejo agrarian space and social relations. For this analysis, eight agroecological yards of women and men that sell their production in the Ecological Fair of Serra Talhada (Feira Ecológica de Serra Talhada) were selected. The yards selected are located in three municipalities: Santa Cruz da Baixa Verde, Triunfo and Serra Talhada. The results show that for the peasant women, the yards are spaces for life, for the reproduction of the peasant lifestyle and as an experimental laboratory for the construction and refinement of knowledges about the agroecosystems, as well as a place to plant, harvest and live in the semi-arid Sertão. These spaces were devalued as productive spaces by being considered feminine ones, an extension of the domestic space. However, they have been acquiring since the 1990s new values, shapes and practices in the life and in the economy of those women and their families. In this work, we identified that the women who participated in the Ecological Fair of Serra Talhada associated agroecological and traditional knowledges with feminist practices. This fact permits them to construct and reconstruct ideas and values, to problematize and question genre-based social relations, and the importance of women's workforce for their communities and family. Methodologically, we opted for the proceedings of a qualitative research through literature and documentary research as well as field research in the peasant families that collaborated for this study. / Na agricultura camponesa do Sertão do Pajeú, no estado de Pernambuco, as mulheres participam da produção de alimentos, seleção e cuidados com as sementes, beneficiamento, manejo da biodiversidade, comercialização e geração de renda da família. As agricultoras são, em muitas ocasiões, as únicas responsáveis pelo trabalho doméstico familiar. Além disso, muitas dessas mulheres colocam em prática os saberes tradicionais repassados por outras mulheres, práticas agrícolas saudáveis compatíveis com relações de gênero mais equitativas. Assim esse trabalho tem por objetivo compreender como o processo de transição agroecológica, em curso nos quintais agroecológicos da região, modifica o espaço agrário sertanejo e as relações sociais de gênero que neles se contraem. Para isso selecionamos oito famílias com quintais agroecológicos que comercializam sua produção na Feira Agroecológica de Serra Talhada (FAST). Os quintais selecionados estão localizados em três municípios: Santa Cruz da Baixa Verde, Triunfo e Serra Talhada. Os resultados alcançados mostram que, para as mulheres sertanejas, os quintais são espaços de vida, lugares da reprodução da existência camponesa e laboratório para a experimentação, construção e aperfeiçoamento do conhecimento e saberes sobre os agroecossistemas, assim como o plantar, colher e viver no sertão semiárido. Espaços esses que eram desvalorizados como espaços produtivos por serem considerados espaços femininos, extensão do espaço doméstico, mas que da década de 1990 para os dias atuais têm passado por transformações importantes, assumindo um novo valor, forma e uso na vida e economia das mulheres e família. Neste trabalho, conseguimos identificar que as mulheres agricultoras que participam da Feira Agroecológica de Serra Talhada associam saberes agroecológicos, conhecimentos tradicionais com práticas, feministas, o que lhes permite construir e reconstruir, ideias, valores, problematizarem e questionar as relações sociais de gênero e importância do trabalho feminino nas suas comunidades e famílias. Metodologicamente, optamos por procedimentos de pesquisa qualitativa, pesquisa bibliográfica e documental e a realização de trabalhos de campo junto às famílias camponesas que colaboraram com este estudo.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The municipality of Ibarama is located in the central mountain range of Rio Grande do Sul and about 70 % of it's population consists of family farmers. It stands out among the other municipalities by having a unique and innovative experience regarding the rescue, conservation and sustainable use of numerous native species and cultivars of agrobiodiversity, carried out by several of these families. The present work lead to the organization of the Native Seed Keepers Association of Ibarama (Associação dos Guardiões de Sementes Crioulas de Ibarama) and has become fundamental in the design of rural development strategies. Thus, this work aims to contribute to the socioeconomic characterization of the saving and multiplication experience of native maize (Zea mays) in the community. Semistructured interviews as well as participatory observations were conducted with 12 farmer families of Ibarama. Social structure features such as gender, age and family composition and their relation to the species preservation were analyzed, as well as the purposes and expectations of their production. The research shows that the preservation activities of native maize varieties are maintained through generations, due to subsistence production and economic, social, political and cultural elements that are directly related to its use as family food and animal feed. The farmers themselves have developed their own way of connecting with their natural surroundings and often use evidence or trial for perfecting the domestication of the plants and animals that they handle. It is also observed that farmers adapt and shape agrobiodiversity according to their own requirements and needs, which are influenced by ecological, social and economic changes. In regard to the continuation of the Association there are many limitations such as the age of the seed keepers and the lack of political incentive. Strategies to address these problems are the cooperation of the Association with research and teaching entities, and the group of little Guardians as well as the access to new marketing channels for native agrobiodiversity products, specifically those of native maize. / O município de Ibarama, com cerca de 70% da população constituída por agricultores familiares, está localizado na região Centro-Serra do Rio Grande do Sul, e destaca-se entre os demais, por possuir uma experiência peculiar e inovadora no que diz respeito ao resgate, conservação e uso sustentável de inúmeras espécies e cultivares da agrobiodiversidade crioula, realizadas por várias dessas famílias. Este trabalho que resultou na organização da Associação dos Guardiões de Sementes Crioulas de Ibarama, torna-se fundamental na elaboração de estratégias de desenvolvimento rural. Neste sentido, este trabalho pretende contribuir na caracterização socioeconômica da experiência de resgate e multiplicação de milho crioulo (Zea mays) na comunidade. Foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas e observação participante em 12 famílias de agricultores de Ibarama. Foram analisadas características da estrutura social como gênero, faixa etária e composição familiar e sua relação com a atividade de preservação da espécie, assim como as finalidades e expectativas da sua produção. A pesquisa realizada mostra que as atividades de preservação de variedades de milho crioulo se mantêm, através das gerações, por relacionar-se com a produção de subsistência e por elementos de caráter econômico, social, político e cultural, relacionados diretamente pelas formas de uso como a alimentação familiar e animal. Os próprios agricultores desenvolveram uma forma própria de conexão com o seu entorno natural e muitas vezes utilizam a prova ou experimentação para aperfeiçoar a atividade de domesticação das plantas e animais que manejam. Observa-se também que os agricultores adaptam e moldam a agrobiodiversidade conforme suas exigências e necessidades, as quais estão influenciadas pelas mudanças ecológicas, sociais e econômicas. Já para a continuação da Associação existem muitos limitantes como a idade avançada dos Guardiões e a falta de incentivo político. As estratégias para enfrentar esses problemas são a parceria da Associação com entidades de pesquisa e ensino, o grupo de Guardiões Mirins e o acesso a novos canais de comercialização para os produtos da agrobiodiversidade crioula, especificamente o milho crioulo.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:33:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 1958290 bytes, checksum: ec5b071ee8a377ad02a1c15f588a6960 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-05-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The present work analyzes the social construction of development alternatives, expressed through the proposal of the agroecology, bringing as empiric reference for analysis the experience in agroecology of a rural settlement. That Settlement is called Tapera and it is located in the district of Riacho dos Machados, in the North area of the Minas Gerais state, and its technique is advised and politically for an organization of the civil society, more precisely for an Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) dedicated to the rural development, that has as proposal to promote the maintainable rural development based in the Agroecology beginnings. However, previous to the study of the case in subject, it was looked for understanding the emergency of conceptions and proposed development alternatives and the mobilization of the organized civil society starting from partner-environmental problems, above all to those related to the agriculture. For so much, it had as emphasis to the concepts and representations created around the agroecology and the potential of the proposal for the rural development. This way, this research puts in interaction themes as development, agroecology, social mediators, development NGOs and rural settlement, so that it allows an including understanding of the complexity and of the meaning of the experience that it intended to analyze. / O presente trabalho analisa a construção social de alternativas de desenvolvimento, expressa por meio da proposta da agroecologia, trazendo como referência empírica para análise a experiência em agroecologia de um assentamento rural. Esse Assentamento denominado Tapera está localizado no município de Riacho dos Machados, região Norte do estado de Minas Gerais, e é assessorado técnica e politicamente por uma organização da sociedade civil, mais precisamente por uma ONG dedicada ao desenvolvimento rural, que tem como proposta promover o desenvolvimento rural sustentável fundamentado nos princípios da Agroecologia. Entretanto, anterior ao estudo do caso em questão, buscou-se compreender a emergência de concepções e propostas alternativas de desenvolvimento e a mobilização da sociedade civil organizada a partir de problemas sócio-ambientais, sobretudo àqueles relacionados à agricultura. Para tanto, deu-se ênfase aos conceitos e representações criadas em torno da agroecologia e o potencial de sua proposta para o desenvolvimento rural. Deste modo, esta pesquisa coloca em interação temas como desenvolvimento, agroecologia, mediadores sociais, ONGs de desenvolvimento e assentamentos rurais, de modo que permita uma compreensão mais abrangente da complexidade e do significado da experiência que se propôs analisar.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:39:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2645.pdf: 637881 bytes, checksum: 4aec1fbbf1c340b1dfb6372e58408184 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-08-28 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The goal of this dissertation is to investigate as agroecology, alternative approach to agriculture characterized by socio-environmental concerns, becomes a prospect that internalises in public institutions of research devoted to agriculture. Analyzing the case of Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria (Embrapa), which was historically linked to agricultural modernization in Brazil, the research aims to investigate what the conditions of insertion of the agroecology theme is how the process of legitimation of this. The research consisted of a case study on the institutional process of legitimization of agroecology in EMBRAPA. First, we analyze the official discourse of the company, the institutional position, defined in documents published on the subject. A second step of analysis aims to evaluate how this process is reflected in the level of daily practices of agents. For this, interviews were conducted with experts and researchers from Embrapa Meio Ambiente, located in Jaguariúna- SP. Understanding the Embrapa Meio Ambiente as a field of provisions in dispute, where the agents compete for the accumulation of specific, we show that the environmental issue, and particularly the discussion agroecology, introduce new elements and provide conflicting dynamics. The agroecological perspective takes a marginal seat, or dominated the field in relation to conventional farming, and thus the defenders of agroecology looking agents make use of various strategies, seeking state their views and their understanding of science. If on the one hand social movements seeking intervention in the company entering new perspectives on the other hand, the institution makes use of a series of devices to accommodate new practices to their routines. / O objetivo desta dissertação consiste em investigar como a agroecologia, abordagem alternativa de agricultura caracterizada por preocupações sócio-ambientais, passa a ser uma perspectiva que se internaliza em instituições públicas de pesquisa voltadas ao setor agropecuário. Analisando o caso da Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa), que historicamente esteve vinculada à modernização agrícola no Brasil, a pesquisa pretende investigar quais as condições da inserção da temática da agroecologia e como se dá o processo de legitimação desta perspectiva. A pesquisa consistiu em um estudo de caso sobre o processo de legitimação institucional da agroecologia na EMBRAPA. Num primeiro momento, analisamos o discurso oficial da empresa, a posição institucional, definida nos documentos publicados, relativa ao tema. Um segundo passo da análise buscou verificar como esse processo se traduz no nível das práticas cotidianas dos agentes. Para tanto, foram realizadas entrevistas com técnicos e pesquisadores da unidade descentralizada Embrapa Meio Ambiente, localizada em Jaguariúna-SP. Entendendo a Embrapa Meio Ambiente como um campo de disposições em disputa, onde os agentes concorrem para a acumulação de capital específico, mostramos que a temática ambiental e, em especial, o debate agroecológico, introduzem elementos novos e estabelecem dinâmicas conflitivas. A perspectiva agroecológica toma um lugar marginal, ou dominado no campo, em relação à agricultura convencional e, assim, os agentes defensores da agroecologia procuram lançar mão de diversas estratégias, buscando afirmar seu ponto de vista e seu entendimento de ciência. Se por um lado os movimentos sociais buscam intervir na empresa inserindo novas perspectivas, por outro, a instituição lança mão de uma série de dispositivos para acomodar novas práticas às suas rotinas.

Submitted by FABIANA DA SILVA FRANÇA (fabiana21franca@gmail.com) on 2018-02-01T15:49:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Arquivo Total.pdf: 2396297 bytes, checksum: 67ed3b1d6a12c462e89a5cafd47fe5e5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-02-01T15:49:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Arquivo Total.pdf: 2396297 bytes, checksum: 67ed3b1d6a12c462e89a5cafd47fe5e5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-31 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This dissertation presents the strategy of collective organization of Polo da Borborema, with reference to the promotion of agroecological practices. The production of the foods that are in the table of the Brazilians comes from the work of the peasants and, in the case of Polo, these foods are produced from the action of rescue and maintenance of the creole seeds, known in the state of Paraíba as “Sementes da Paixão”. Among the strategies adopted by Polo in order to guarantee food sovereignty, there is the creation of Community Seed Banks. The valorization of agrobiodiversity from the specificity of Polo da Borborema organization serves as the basis for the analysis of the worldwide diffusion of research development and use of Genetically Modified Organisms in agriculture. Currently, Brazil has the second largest area planted with seeds of this type, which encourages debate on agrobiodiversity. The objective of this research was to understand how the actions of Polo da Borborema focused on the valorization of agroecology and protection of agrobiodiversity have influenced the awareness of the women of Polo as to their role for the peasant family agriculture. The research was carried out between the years of 2015 and 2017, when fieldwork was carried out, in which the farmers and leaders of the union were interviewed, as well as participation in events, with emphasis on the " March for Women's Lives and for Agroecology. " The encouragement of the participation of women in the various activities organized by Polo has represented an important movement to raise awareness about their contribution to the production of healthy foods, the valorization of the "Sementes da Paixão", as well as in awakening to the collective struggle and organized by the construction of egalitarian gender relations. / Esta dissertação apresenta a estratégia de organização coletiva do Polo da Borborema, tendo como referência a promoção de práticas agroecológicas. A produção dos alimentos que estão na mesa dos brasileiros é proveniente do trabalho dos (as) agricultores (as) camponeses (as) e, no caso do Polo, estes alimentos são produzidos a partir da ação de resgate e manutenção das sementes crioulas, conhecidas no estado da Paraíba como “Sementes da Paixão”. Dentre as estratégias adotadas pelo Polo no intuito de se garantir soberania alimentar, está a criação dos Bancos de Sementes Comunitários. A valorização da agrobiodiversidade a partir da especificidade da organização do Polo da Borborema serve de base para a análise sobre a difusão mundial do desenvolvimento de pesquisas e uso de Organismos Geneticamente Modificados na agricultura. Atualmente, o Brasil possui a segunda maior área plantada de sementes deste tipo, o que fomenta o debate a respeito da agrobiodiversidade. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi compreender como as ações do Polo da Borborema voltadas à valorização da agroecologia e proteção da agrobiodiversidade têm influenciado na tomada de consciência das mulheres do Polo quanto ao seu papel para a agricultura familiar camponesa. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida entre os anos de 2015 e 2017, quando foram realizados trabalhos de campo, em que foram entrevistados (as) agricultores (as) e lideranças da organização sindical, além de ter ocorrido a participação em eventos, com destaque para a “Marcha pela Vida das Mulheres e pela Agroecologia”. O incentivo à participação das mulheres nas diversas atividades organizadas pelo Polo tem representado importante movimento de tomada de consciência das mesmas quanto à sua contribuição na produção de alimentos saudáveis, na valorização das “Sementes da Paixão”, bem como no despertar para a luta coletiva e organizada pela construção de relações de gênero igualitárias.