Agroecological transition experiences in the metropolitan region of São Luís and Rio de Janeiro: ecology of projects, markets and institutional trajectories

Abstract

The article presents an overview of the evolution of family farming and agroecological transition processes in the states of Maranhão, Rio de Janeiro and their respective metropolitan regions (São Luís and Rio de Janeiro). In the capital of Rio de Janeiro, there is an institutional abandonment of public policies aimed at family farming. In São Luís, there are state and municipal departments dedicated to this theme, committed to family farming and marketing issues, although criticized for the modernizing profile of their activities and the lack of institutionalization of the agroecological agenda. The results of the research point to the 2010s as the time when markets (especially fairs) gained strength as a social space of struggle within the scope of agroecological social movements. In this sense, markets gained prominence as a space for the production of food activism and greater dedication on the part of political actors.