Women and agroecology: a feminine look at the commercialization sector in agroecological fairs of the Osvaldo in Oliveira Sustainable Devolopment Project, Macaé/Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

Introduction: The article in question focuses on the role of women farmers in agroecological production, analyzing their participation in Agroecological Fairs (FAs), with emphasis on producers from the Osvaldo de Oliveira Sustainable Development Project (PDS). Objective: The article aims to analyze and report, from the perspective of the producers of PDS Osvaldo de Oliveira, the importance of fairs for the achievement of Food Sovereignty and the fight for gender equality, as they contribute to the empowerment and financial self-sufficiency of women farmers. Method: The qualitative method of bibliographic review was adopted, and a case study was also carried out about the first Agroecological Fair of the University City of Macaé after the pandemic, in April 2022, based on research and extension projects carried out by the authors. Semi-structured interviews were carried out using the snowball method with six PDS producers, in order to verify the impacts of the fairs on the lives of women in Osvaldo de Oliveira. Discussion: The commercialization space gives new meaning to the experiences lived by two groups of women from Macaé and Casimiro de Abreu, who, through fairs, present their activities, difficulties and symmetries with the projects that help in organizing the fairs. Results: The positive impact of the commercialization of agroecological foods was verified, whether for the final consumer, who starts consuming foods without pesticides, or for rural producers, who benefit both financially and socially, as the fairs consist of new spaces for rapprochement between the countryside and the city.