EcoViamão Project: Canoas and community gardens in the metropolis

Abstract

This work comes from the initial research surveys promoted by the Nucleus of Studies in Agroecology
and Organic Production of Viamão - EcoViamão project, under development at the Federal
Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS). The EcoViamão
project has a more pronounced performance in three municipalities in the Metropolitan Region of
Porto Alegre, Brazil, where IFRS has five campuses. The formation of this Nucleus has provided
integrated teaching, research and extension actions involving various public and private actors
and organizations of the community with the campuses of Canoas, Restinga and Viamão, as
well as among its researchers and students, to understand the activities related to urban and
peri-urban agriculture; and, to promote and identify existing actions in agroecology and organic
production in the region. In this context, the research presents the notion of urban agriculture and
identifies community gardens in the municipality of Canoas. Elaborated with data collection in
public and private entities, bibliographic review of the theme, field visits and reports of extension
actions, the research revealed an alternative way of urban agriculture practiced collectively and
with a strong agroecological and food security bias, carried out in social vulnerability areas. At
the end, it analyzes possibilities for strengthening actions with the community and the mission of
IFRS and the EcoViamão project for the more sustainable development of the region.