A cultura da erva-mate na Serra dos Tapes, RS: desenvolvimento rural sustentável e conservação da agrobiodiversidade

Abstract

Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is an essential socio-cultural asset in Latin American countries. In Brazil, it is mainly rooted in the southern portion, reached with expressiveness the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, the latter being its most significant consumer. It is vital to the economy of several municipalities in the Rio Grande do Sul, which has been exploring it economically for a long time. The present work aimed to investigate the recent historical past and the prospects of the yerba mate plant in the Serra dos Tapes region, including the colonies of the municipalities of Canguçu, Pelotas, Arroio do Padre and São Lourenço do Sul. The plant is an element of the rural area biodiversity of those places and one of the first local products exploited by immigrants. Through qualitative research methodology, we tried to understand, through direct contact with farmers, institutional and industrial representatives, the aspects about the production and extractive exploitation of the plant in the past, the interest in the activity return, and the manufacturers' perception about the herb present on that region. This investigation was done through semi-structured interviews in 2018 and 2019. Regional species distribution mapping was made, and the physicochemical characterization of the plants was also performed. The conclusions indicate that the trees develop ideally, with vigorous appearance and a high volume of leaves, although the georeferenced points indicate soils of restricted or inapt fitness for the development of that species. Therefore, it is pertinent to expand the studies aiming to create sustainable strategies, leading to yerba mate conservation and use as an integral part of biodiversity in natural or managed environments. Regarding the physicochemical characteristics analyzed, it was found that the variables moisture, ash and crude fiber, except fat content, had results compatible with those obtained by researchers in other regions, with fresh leaves. The difference in results may be due to environmental characteristics such as soil type, altitude and relief on each tree analyzed. About the answers obtained in the interviews, it can be affirmed that there is little interest in leaves acquisition by the herbal industries located in other regions. On the other hand, the general opinion of the rural population and the social actors belonging to the territory converges towards the revaluation of this culture and linked activities. This fact can favor biodiversity conservation, the productive matrix diversification and the rescue of an element that conforms to the regional cultural identity, constituting a factor to sustainable rural development.