Aquaculture systems, food security and the construction of agroecological knowledge

Abstract

Although the contemporary agricultural revolution has allowed a significant increase in the
volume of food produced in the world, one of the most direct and fatal consequences of the
modern agrifood system is the continued hunger of millions of people. Aquaculture is an activity
recognized for its great potential to generate high nutritional value food, however, the
ability of aquaculture to contribute to food and nutritional security can be questioned. This
study describes the practice of aquaculture by peasant producers in the Vaza-Barris estuary,
Sergipe, and discusses the adoption of agroecology paradigms by these producers as a way to
increase the contribution of aquaculture systems to the food and nutritional security of human
populations. The traditional ecosystem knowledge of the peasant producers of São Cristóvão,
Sergipe, results in aquaculture production methods that represent an important contribution to
our understanding of agroecological knowledge.