Derrubando quartos de despejo e plantando justiça social: agroecologia como resistência e gozo do direito à alimentação do povo favelado

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the potential of agroecology as a tool for promoting food sovereignty for the favela population in Belo Horizonte, subjects historically excluded by the Public Power. Starting from the theory of Carolina Maria de Jesus, who describes the favela as the "storage room" of society, the research analyzes how colonial structures of power, race, and gender perpetuate food insecurity and territorial marginalization. The central objective is to demonstrate that urban agroecology, beyond being an agricultural technique, constitutes a political-legal tool capable of dismantling the logic of "storage room" and promoting social justice. The theoretical framework adopts a transdisciplinary approach, articulating the Right to Food through the lens of decolonial feminism and the coloniality of power. The research engages with the recent academic production of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) on urban agriculture and intersectional food security, standing out from previous works by centering the favela population as an active subject and protagonist in the enjoyment of rights. Methodologically, this work uses a basic qualitative-quantitative approach, with an exploratory objective and grounded in the inductive method. The analysis focuses on the (in)effectiveness of public facilities promoting food security in the city of Belo Horizonte, as well as the reach of policies incentivizing agroecology in the capital of Minas Gerais and the confrontation of barriers imposed on favelas. Partial results indicate that agroecological practice in marginalized territories functions as a "spatial rupture," allowing the re-existence of silenced bodies and knowledge and the political occupation of the city. The findings suggest that dismantling the "storage room" demands a transformation of hegemonic policies that uphold coloniality. Furthermore, the research advocates for the revision of municipal regulations hindering agroecology in favelas, recognizing it as an indispensable instrument for the food sovereignty of socially “displaced” populations.