O uso agrícola do território no Rio Grande do Norte: da agroecologia à agricultura orgânica

Abstract

Currently, science, technique and information control the production, use of objects and determine actions and standards. Technical objects have an important role to fulfill, since they are created to accomplish determined tasks in addition to carrying intentionality. In this regard, the certification of organic production revealed the strategies adopted by hegemonic agents to produce and reproduce capital widely, selectively and unequally through the speeches of environmental preservation and protection of the agroecological agricultural practices. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the different uses of the territory of Rio Grande do Norte based on practices of agroecology and organic agriculture in terms of technical-scientific and informational progress. In addition, it is intended to reflect on how the standardizations imposed by the State, companies and international organizations contribute to the exclusion of small farmers and hamper the implementation of agroecological proposals and actions. The standardization of organic production is harmful to non-hegemonic agents, since it is selective and exclude small farmers who do not have enough financial capital to meet such regulation. Although successful experiences were performed based on agroecological practices, many products that are available in the industry as agroecological are actually organic agricultural products, which are identified by consumers through a certification seal. In order to assess the different agricultural uses of the territory of Rio Grande do Norte, a bibliographic analysis was adopted as methodological procedure using secondary and primary data, which was gathered through interviews conducted with the subjects involved in the problem under discussion. The analysis of the Rio Grande do Norte territory's different uses by agroecology and organic agriculture contributed to understand how the agroecological discourse has been appropriated by capital and commercialized through organic agriculture, which has been characterized as a niche of capital expansion. In conclusion, the State ensures the conditions for the capital to create and recreate strategies for its expanded production and reproduction.