Agricultura urbana e êxodo rural

Abstract

This paper analyses the urban agricultural activities undertaken in Itajai, a port city in Southern Brazil. Its aim is to identify the city’s potential for establishing a process of territorial development, as well as what obstacles should be overcome. It understands the urban agricultural activities as part of institutional strategies and, from an individual perspective, as a result of the rural exodus process. The methodology employed consisted in participant observation and semi-structured interviews with individual farmers and representatives of the institutions. The conclusion was that urban agriculture is a growing phenomenon, has a close bond with the rural exodus and serves as a space for conserving the traditional knowledge