Mulheres indígenas e agricultura familiar: Um estudo sobre os quintais produtivos na Comunidade Lagoa do Tapará - RN

Abstract

This paper presents a study on the productive backyards in the indigenous community of Lagoa do Tapará/RN. Productive backyards represent an essential part of family farming in terms of food security, biodiversity preservation and sustainability. These spaces, often small in area, are sources of a wide variety of diversified foods, small animal husbandry, medicinal herbs, as well as being centers for the preservation of ancestral and cultural agricultural knowledge. Indigenous women play essential roles in agriculture, contributing significantly to ensuring adequate nutrition, protecting the rich variety of plants, animals and sustainable development, through agricultural practices rooted in knowledge passed down over generations. The present study was carried out in the Lagoa do Tapará Indigenous Community, located in the city of Macaíba, RN. The work was done based on a questionnaire that was passed on to 14 families located in the community, where it focused on the perspective of indigenous women, addressing questions about the general production of these backyards, agroecological methods, the role of indigenous women within these backyards and knowledge transmitted through generations. Through the results obtained in this questionnaire, it was possible to expose the challenges that these women face, such as some health problems, space limitations and pest control. The data collected showed that, from the perspective of these women, these multifunctional areas associate production, culture, care and belonging. It was possible to highlight that many share their knowledge with other women in the community, which strengthens ties and ensures the transmission of knowledge between new generations. In view of this, the importance of public policies that guarantee the right to land, technical support and appreciation of the role of indigenous women in the construction of a fairer, more solidary and sustainable rural development is highlighted.