Crop three heights and bank of seeds: family strategies for ensuring food sovereignty of farmers in the Lower Jequitinhonha

Abstract

The project aims at the development of the rural territory of the Lower Jequitinhonha through
scientific research, extension and professional education that values and enhance agroecological
production techniques of farmers activities, as well as empower students IFNMG
- Campus Almenara and technicians for the regional extension dissemination of knowledge
of agroecology-based organic systems. This includes the deployment of crops, “Crop three
heights” - traditional production system supplies used by farmers in the region, the support
of community seed banks, traditional or local varieties, and those used as green manure of interest for organic or agroecological production base and maintaining the center for research
on organic production and agroecology (NEA) potentiated by experimental unit PAIS (Integrated
Agroecology and Sustainable Production) IFNMG Campus of Almenara. The intent is to
spread a social technology inspired by the performance of small farmers who chose to make
a sustainable agriculture without the use of toxic chemicals and the need to protect the environment.
The principal activities of technological extension developed in this project consist in
disseminating agroecological knowledge. Professional education is primarily engaged in the
continuity of exchanges of experience among 40 farmers of 16 districts of the territory of the
Lower Jequitinhonha who participated in the course of professional qualification / initial training,
the skills and the regional technicians conducting the practical classes related academic
courses of the agrarian and IFNMG Campus Almenara. The research is primarily engaged in
the assembly of experiments that can improve and validate the farm three times as a family
strategy for ensuring food sovereignty of farmers in the Lower Jequitinhonha.