Geotecnologias para o planejamento da transição agroecológica: estudo de caso na Microbacia Hidrográfica de Barracão dos Mendes, Nova Friburgo, RJ

Abstract

The use of geotechnology has been increasingly widespread in agriculture, favoring the emergence and expansion of precision agriculture on large farms across the country. Due to the growing possibilities of geotechnical innovations, such as public databases with the most varied geographic information and, mainly, the diffusion of these technologies and tools in the rural environment, it is believed that these tools can also be useful in Agroecology. Agroecology can use these tools to create its own database and produce key information for territorial studies. These may contain information on the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of soils, their main vulnerabilities and, based on these informations, produce specific environmental and agroecological zoning that can support public policies or other actions to encourage and promote the agroecological transition in family farming. The present study makes a systemic and multidisciplinary analysis of the Micobasin of Barracão dos Mendes, Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro. The main characteristics of Relief, Soil and Landscape, as well as their interactions and relationships, were analyzed through geoprocessing tools, geostatistics, remote sensing and access to a database of public geographic information, identifying the main vulnerabilities and potentialities for agricultural practice in the microbasin. The results show that the intensive production systems practiced are incompatible with the presented characteristics, and unsustainable in the medium-long term. The study makes clear that it is necessary to rethink the agriculture practiced in mountain environments. Studies such as this may lead to the improvement of agroecosystems in vulnerable areas and make possible human occupation and agriculture in such sensitive environments with so much potential for the production of environmental services and agroecological practices. Still, geotechnology can be an important tool for planning an efficient agroecological transition