Resiliência agroextrativista : análise da Cooperativa Grande Sertão à luz da Teoria da Estruturação Forte

Abstract

This study analyzes the Grande Sertão Cooperative of Family Farmers and Agroextractivists (CGS), located in Northern Minas Gerais, as a collective organization that articulates economic viability, environmental conservation, and the valorization of traditional knowledge within the Cerrado biome, in a context marked by intense market, sociodemographic, and ecological pressures. The study is grounded in the premise that agroextractivism, historically marginalized by dominant economic models, can constitute a concrete strategy of resistance, organizational resilience, and territorial development when structured collectively. The research adopts Strong Structuration Theory (SST), proposed by Stones, as its analytical framework, which enables an understanding of the recursive relationship between structure and agency through four interdependent dimensions: external structures, internal structures, agential practices, and outcomes. This theoretical framework made it possible to analyze how CGS mobilizes social capital, traditional knowledge, and institutional partnerships to confront environmental, institutional, and economic constraints, while preserving its solidarity-based and territorial principles. Methodologically, this is a qualitative study with ethnographic inspiration, based on semi-structured interviews conducted both in the field and online, direct observation carried out during visits to the cooperative’s areas of operation, and document analysis. The interlocutors were organized into three analytical groups: representatives of partner companies, CGS leaders and technical staff, as well as cooperative members and agroextractivists affiliated with the cooperative. Data analysis followed procedures of open, axial, and selective coding, allowing for the identification of recurring patterns, tensions, and strategies. The results indicate that CGS builds its organizational resilience through collective action, shared production management, and the articulation of alternative commercialization networks, including institutional markets and private partnerships aligned with socio-bioeconomic principles. These practices contribute to the valorization of Cerrado-based products, the strengthening of traditional ways of life, and the conservation of the biome. However, the study also reveals persistent structural constraints, such as dependence on public policies, financing, and infrastructure, as well as difficulties in integrating agroextractivist products into highly competitive conventional markets. It is concluded that the Grande Sertão Cooperative not only resists the pressures of the hegemonic agribusiness model but also, drawing on its resilience, acts as a vector of social and ecological innovation within the territory, demonstrating the transformative potential of solidarity-based local economies. The application of Strong Structuration Theory proved to be appropriate for understanding the dynamics between structure and agency in the cooperative under study, contributing to debates on sustainable development, bioeconomy, and organizational resilience in the Cerrado context.