A relevância do pensamento agroecossistêmico de Josué de Castro para a reflexão agroecológica no Brasil: potencialidades de uma abordagem históricoambiental

Abstract

This piece of research focuses on the contributions of Josué de Castro s historicalenvironmental and agro ecosystemic pioneering ideas in the reflection and dissemination of the agro ecological thought in Brazil. The agro exporting landlordism and family units of food production are analyzed along the Brazilian civilizing process by the historical-dialectic method. Upon using secondary sources, this analysis represents both a theoretical and a reflexive exercise on the constructive potential of historical-environmental perceptions towards the investigative specter of the complex Brazilian land universe, once different interaction strategies between society and nature are multiplied not only by the diversity of human groups but also by ecosystem heterogeneities. From that, an approach is reached which searches to identify in Josué de Castro s vast and relevant work how harmful monoculture farm production systems have been, both culturally and socio-environmentally, for food sustainability strategies. Upon exposing the reductionism of technical and mercantile models that have been historically adopted by Brazilian farming, we aim to contribute to the recognition of the importance of family production systems as adequate loci which can guarantee food safety on an agro ecological basis.