Análise de sustentabilidade em assentamento de reforma agrária: o caso de Chico Mendes III, Pernambuco, Brasil

Abstract

In the Chico Mendes III settlement, located in the Zona da Mata, Tiúma district, state of Pernambuco, Brazil, settled families have been experiencing a process of agroecological transition and action research. Considering that knowledge about the sustainability of agroecosystems in rural settlements is still scanty, the study, carried out in 2011, aimed to measure the sustainability of this settlement based on the construction of an aggregate index composed of a system of indicators distributed in three systemic attributes: productivity, stability and self-management. The results suggest that land redistribution, coupled with endogenous organizational processes, alongside with the revaluation of peasant agricultural practices and agroecological innovation are the primary elements of a broader process of bringing back the peasantry within agrarian reform. The methodology proved to be valid and provides a baseline which can be used in further comparative evaluation.