Agrobiodiversidade e práticas amigáveis aos polinizadores nas agroflorestas da região do Vale do Ribeira, São Paulo

Abstract

The adoption of practices that promote the conservation of pollinator populations, creating more friendly landscapes, has become increasingly essential in the face of the accelerated loss of biodiversity and the services associated with it. Agroforests are productive systems that can be managed with high species richness and based on practices that favor essential ecological interactions, imitating the functioning of forest ecosystems. With the objective of evaluating the adoption of pollinator-friendly practices by farmers in agroforestry management in the Ribeira Valley region, São Paulo, this study used qualitative research methodologies. In order to obtain data on livelihood assets (human, social, financial, physical and natural) and pollinator-friendly practices, semi-structured interviews were conducted with questionnaires applied to the participating farmers. Guided tours were also carried out in the agroforests to survey the species composition, with subsequent preparation of floral resource calendars, as well as direct observation of the agroecosystems and surroundings. The research was conducted with 20 family farmers who manage agroforestry in nine municipalities in the Vale do Ribeira region, São Paulo. Through the guided tour, a great wealth of ethnospecies and ethnovarieties was identified, around 350 in total, of which approximately 71% were honey-bearing. Among the agroforests, the number of managed species varied from 32 to 93, with the best coverage of flowering species being from farmers who are beekeepers. Regarding the adoption of pollinator-friendly practices, it was possible to identify that the number of practices adopted is associated with differences in assets related to livelihoods. Among the farmers with a low number of environmentally friendly practices are those with the most vulnerable livelihoods, mostly women. While the highest number of friendly practices was found among those with the best livelihood conditions, including beekeepers and farmers with more experience in agroforestry management. These results demonstrate the need to propose strategies that are thought out locally and promoted through integrated actions that combine education, infrastructure and economic incentives, seeking a common path for the conservation of biodiversity and the improvement of human well-being in agroforestry. Furthermore, based on their perceptions, farmers have identified a series of changes related to the climate, such as temperature, rainfall patterns, drought and extreme weather events, as well as changes in flowering periods and species management, which have caused reductions and losses in production. In view of the climate emergency and its impacts, especially on the most vulnerable populations, the knowledge and expertise of farmers must be considered when proposing the necessary adaptations. On this path, the possible solution involves the agroecological transition of production systems and the social construction of another relationship with Nature, based on socio-environmental justice and supported by public policies aimed at territorial development.