Challenges to the agroecological transition by the profile of agronomy students: a case study

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the profile of the students of the Agronomy course of the Federal
University of Viçosa, Rio Paranaíba campus and to relate it to the profile of the agroecological
movement. A reflexive analysis of values as predictors of the students’ professional identity and
option, and their inconsistencies with principles and characteristics of agroecology, were carried
out. The data were obtained through a questionnaire applied to the freshmen of the course of
Agronomy of the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. It was observed that 47% of the students opted for
the course through the salary perspective, and only a small portion indicated a less egocentric
profile among the motivations for professional choice. The profile of most of the participants has
important disagreements with respect to the principles valorized by agroecology, which represents
a challenge to the expansion of agroecological movement, science and practice.