Sistematização de experiências em uma fazenda urbana de base agroecológica - EOCINEC

Abstract

This paper reports on a set of experiences related to the installation, management, and overall operations of an urban farm in Fortaleza, Ceará, known as ECOINEC. This experimental unit of urban agroecology was designed to explore sustainable practices in urban environments. In addition to reporting these experiences, the present study addresses two central themes that guided its development. These themes are deeply interconnected, while also having ramifications that permeate various aspects of human life. The first theme discussed is sustainable agricultural systems, which are directly linked to environmental preservation, the mitigation and reversal of climate crisis effects, and the production of sufficient quantities of high-quality food to ensure food security for populations. The second, equally important theme, is urban agriculture, which plays a vital role in urban life. Throughout this work, I sought to demonstrate the importance of urban agriculture as a crucial tool for promoting sustainability in urban and peri-urban environments. The expansion of sustainable agriculture in these spaces brings several benefits: the increase of green and productive areas, improvement of air quality, mitigation of urban heat island effects, enhancement of soil permeability and drainage capacity, as well as the creation of refuges for local fauna and the promotion of biodiversity. Furthermore, urban agriculture contributes to the generation of employment and income, reduces logistical costs and pollution from transportation, and ensures access to healthy and fresh food, produced close to consumers, thereby increasing the supply of food in cities. Given these benefits and the contemporary debate on solutions to the global climate crisis, agroecological practices in urban environments should be seen as a fundamental part of a set of sustainable initiatives. These practices, in addition to mitigating the impacts of climate change, can also contribute to reversing its causes, making them essential for the future of cities and humanity