Produção econômica de subsistências das mulheres horticulturas na Granja de Pessubé: os desafios da construção de laços de solidariedade e de enfrentamentos às desigualdades

Abstract

This dissertation problematizes the dominant and traditional conception of economics, highlighting the importance of understanding the assumptions of Karl Polanyi's substantive and plural economy in the African context, especially in Guinea-Bissau, which is marked by profound gender inequalities. Despite the predominance of the logic of capital production, productive practices based on the reproduction of life already existed in previous societies and remain active in many communities. The aim of this dissertation is to understand the dynamics of economic production and the ways in which women vegetable growers cope with inequalities, considering solidarity ties and the preservation of ancestral cultural heritage. The research was carried out at Granja de Pessubé, one of the largest vegetable production areas in Guinea-Bissau, where production is geared towards family subsistence and has a significant impact on the local economy. The approach adopted is qualitative, based on substantive economics and articulated with feminist and decolonial theories. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted, all in Guinean Creole, with five women vegetable growers, two external workers and a public manager. The results show that in African countries, especially Guinea-Bissau, subsistence agricultural production by women represents not only an appreciation of alternative forms of economy, but also a concrete strategy of resistance to the multiple oppressions imposed by colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchy. At Granja de Pessubé, although the state has formally ceded the areas for cultivation, the women gardeners face constant threats: flooding, accumulation of garbage and the risk of land use being reversed. Even in the face of these structural difficulties, they maintain collective work and care practices, reaffirming community and ancestral ties as the basis for the reproduction of life.