PERMACULTURE1 Solution for the Hunger in the World and As a Mildred GUSTACK DELAMBRE E J
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FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN BRAZIL – organisms) were taken, and still are, as a ALTERNATIVES IN PERMACULTURE1 solution for the hunger in the world and as a Mildred GUSTACK DELAMBRE E J. DIAS solution for energy crisis. Nova Oikos – Rua Santa Cecilia, 734. CEP 88340-000 A sixth of world’s population is undernourished, Camboriu, Santa Catarina, Brazil. although the Food and Agriculture Organization [email protected] from United Nations affirms that actual food production could easily feed all. Why do many Keywords: Permaculture; Agribusiness; people do not have access to the fruits of this Degrowth; Food sovereignty; Solidarity based development? Our central thesis is related to the Economy fact that all technologies invented, all strategies Abstract to set people free from hard, physical work, A sixth of world’s population is undernourished, although from hunger, from stress and diseases, it all the Food and Agriculture Organization from United Nations have failed and we still find whole societies in affirms that actual food production could easily feed all. precarious conditions of life quality. The same occurs in Brazil, one of the larger food producers We consider that the problem remains in the in the world. Political power is unfortunately visibly conception of development, centered in subordinated to economic power. That undermines food sovereignty which is the ability of the country and society to economic perspectives and strategies to reach a decide what to produce and for whom: the organization of common welfare and well-being, and which is agricultural production is dictated not by the demand for logically not suitable to man kind needs. The food but by the needs of the international market. We current model of development, is based on consider that the problem remains in the conception of infinite exponential economic growth and is development, centered in economic perspectives and strategies to reach a common welfare and well-being, and announced as a model to be adopted and succeed which is logically not suitable to man kind needs. The in order to achieve a better level of life quality, current model of development followed by all capitalistic progress and prosperity. nations in the world, including Brazil, has its goal on In this work, we explore the machinery of this infinite exponential economic growth to reach prosperity. system in relation to food security and food For agricultural production, this model is translated on agribusiness and is announced as the key to eradicate sovereignty. We analyses Brazilian political hunger and poverty, which is far scientifically proved to be choices around the question: the first has been a fallacy. In this paper we show that such conception, is not contemplated with great investments in social suitable to people's needs and instead, build important programs, such as the “Fome Zero”, while the barriers in succeeding against humanity's challenges. In other seems to have a lower priority. What is the fact, there are two myths that should be broken in order to stop hunger and to converge efforts to real human well- difference between putting the political efforts being and welfare: firstly, the myth that agribusiness is into the food sovereignty or into food security? essential for feeding, and secondly, the myth that economic What does it requires? We will answer to these growth brings better life conditions. questions by showing where the environmental degradation, hunger and the economic system 1. Introduction meet. In the one hand, Human Development Index Aiming to liberate men from the hard work in the (HDI) rises through the country, increasing from fields, to increase production, while decreasing 0.649 in 2000 to 0.6992 in 2010. The costs, prices and land used, the mechanization of International Fund for Agricultural Development agriculture and the introduction of new (IFAD)3 celebrates the reduction of poverty in technologies (such as genetically molested the sixth world economy in 2011, and thanks its 1 This article was written based on previous research presented “impressive economic growth” for that. at the University of Toulouse, France, on 26th September 2011, as final work for conceding the author' Master's Degree. 2 Human Deveopment Report 2010, http://hdr.undp.org Title: “Permaculture and Solidarity based Economy – Nova 3 IFAD - Enabling poor rural people to overcome poverty , Oikos Project in Brazil”. Thesis Director Dr Geneviève Azam November 2011. Nevertheless, in the other hand, Brazil ranks for autonomy, the permaculture initiatives are in among the countries with the highest rates of the fields of social and solidarity-based economy social and economic inequality in the world. We (SSE) and are also in the core of the economic will show that the industrial agricultural model degrowth current. (agribusiness) instead of generating better life conditions, is actually causing more damage than 2. Food production in Brazil benefits for both environment and society. In fact, there are two myths that should be broken In terms of agricultural resources, Brazil is in order to stop hunger and to converge efforts to endowed with its area extension (5th country by real human well-being and welfare: firstly, the area and population), diversity of climate and myth that agribusiness is essential for feeding, and soil, great fresh water reserves and sun shining secondly, the myth that economic growth brings most part of the year. The country is one of the better life conditions. world largest producers of fruit, grains and meat, Since early 1970′s, different branches of it occupies the first places on the world rank knowledge have given foresights of the production5 of oranges, cattle, chicken and horse consequences of an exponential and unlimited meat, pig sausages, flour of triticale and economic growth in our limited resourced planet, oilseeds, green coffee, sisal, wafers, cashew, thus building the main arguments of the economic maté, pineapples, soybeans, Brazil nuts, sugar, degrowth current. Many discussions and cassava, dried whole milk, apple, dried beans, questionings take place about how to improve papayas, citrus, rice, eggs, tangerines and alternatives and sustainable solutions for food mandarins. production and the access to it. In economic terms, agriculture represents 5,4% The Permaculture movement with its practices of Brazilian GDP6, and what does it means? and ethics shows up in this context with many Brazilian agricultural production surpassed the examples of sustainable answers. According to self-sufficiency in food and reached an Holmgren (2007)4 the permaculture is related to important position on food provision for “consciously designed landscapes which mimic international demand. In 2009, the president of the patterns and relationships found in nature, EMBRAPA (Brazilian Company of Agriculture while yielding an abundance of food, fiber and and Livestock Research) asserted that energy for provision of local needs. People, their investments would help ensure that Brazil buildings and the ways in which they organize became the world’s leading food exporter by themselves are central to permaculture”. Within a 20257. Permaculture system, work is minimized, Why does the future largest food producer in the “wastes” become resources, productivity and world still keeps its people suffering from yields increase, and environments are restored. hunger? Permaculture principles can be applied to any The current model of development followed by environment, at any scale from dense urban all capitalistic nations in the world, including settlements to individual homes, from farms to Brazil, has its goal on infinite exponential entire regions. economic growth to reach prosperity. For In order to evolve alternatives for goods agricultural production, this model is translated consumption and production, based on self- on agribusiness and is announced as the key to management, solidarity, cooperation and the quest 5 http://faostat.fao.org 6 http://www.fao.org/countries/55528/en/bra/ [visited on 4 HOLMGREN, David (2007) “Essence of Permaculture – A 07/05/2012] summary of permaculture concepts and principles” from 7 http://www.noticiasagricolas.com.br/noticias/agronegocio/4 “Permaculture Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainability” 4204-embrapa-contribuira-para-que-o-brasil-seja-o-maior- E-book online: http://www.holmgren.au [visited on produtor- de-alimentos-do-mundo.html [visited on 20/09/2011] 30/04/2012] eradicate hunger and poverty, which is far Dom Pedro II created in 1850, the first Land scientifically proved to be a fallacy. In this paper Law, or the law of property: only those in we show that such conception of development is conditions to buy land from the Royalty would not suitable to people's needs and instead, build be able to have it. Agriculture is therefore important barriers in succeeding against structured around large properties turned to humanity's challenges. monocropping of economically desired products We divide actual food and agricultural production to foreign markets. Since then, dependence of in Brazil on family-farming (peasantry) and the agricultural sector on market economy and agribusiness. foreign demand was such that “statistics conducted by the Bank of Brazil in the 19th 2.1. Agribusiness on Brazilian History century revealed that the country could export up to 80% of all agricultural production” Agribusiness or agroindustry refers to the (OLIVEIRA; STEDILE, 2005)9. industrial and commercial production chain for Later, the two World Wars