Diagnóstico e caracterização dos sistemas produtivos bananeiros no município de Espírito Santo do Dourado-MG, indicação de práticas agroecológicas

Abstract

The banana cultivation is a traditional activity that generates jobs and income and has a significant presence in the context of family farming in the municipality of Espírito Santo do Dourado, Minas Gerais (MG) state, Brazil. The region of the Middle Sapucaí, MG, where the municipality is located, encompasses peculiar characteristics, both in geoclimatic aspect and in the management of banana plantations. The banana cultivation in this situation, allows the harvesting of a differentiated and added value product in the market. Conventional banana cultivation systems are based on the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, which in the long run, besides being costly to the farmer, can also pose serious human and environmental contamination problems, especially where bananas are historically cultivated, usually on steep slopes. The adoption of agroecological practices is a viable and affordable alternative that can guarantee the consolidation of the sustainability of banana systems. In this study a diagnosis of an applied nature was made, in which twenty five banana growers from the municipality of Espírito Santo do Dourado were interviewed, members of three informal assisted groups by the local Emater (Rural Extension Institution), for the Phytosanitary Certification of Origin. The profile and characteristics of the local production system were raised, as well as the actors involved in this process, in order to generate information that could guide rural extension actions, in the construction of a local model for the agroecological transition. It was observed that banana cultivation in the municipality is practically organic and farmers eager for feasible technologies that result in efficiency and economy in the banana plantation, as well as improving family income. This finding signals a promising potential for the development and transition to agroecological and / or organic banana production systems.