Dialogues with soil in agroecological transition:

a case study in the sertão of Pernambuco

Abstract

This work is based on a case study carried out with a family that lives on a farm in Pernambuco and has been implementing agroecology for a decade. The field research took place between 2019 and 2021, using participant observation and unstructured interviews. The family reports that, during the acquisition of the farm, neighbors and relatives were opposed, arguing that the soil was unproductive and dry. Thus, the family sought strategies that could transform that environment. With this scenario, we propose to discuss relationships between humans and soil in the agroecological transition in sertão. From the reports, it is clear that agroecological management requires more than cultivation practices; it also involves a change in the view of the soil, which is now understood as a living, dynamic being that dialogues with space. Humans see themselves as having a mission to take care of the soil, which would also take care of them. Some obstacles may arise in this relationship, such as the fact that time passes differently for humans and for soil. However, it is considered that the transition has been successful in changing the perspective from a utilitarian view of the land, to a conception of building shared life.