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Building agreocological knowledge:
Ecocitrus and the process in Rio Grande do Sul

Derli Paulo Bonine - EMATER / RS

The are known as Vale do Cai is the perhaps the most important citrus production region in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil's south. In a total area of 11,000 hectares, there are at least 7,500 hectares with bergamota (Citrus bergamia), 3000 hectares with orange trees, and 500 hectares with lemon trees. There are at least 3,500 families involved in producing these fruits; almost all production is meant for direct consumption, and is sold either directly or through supermarkets.

Hoping to solve the major problems which they faced, many of these farmers opted for an ecological production mode. It was thus that they started "Ecocitrus", an ecological production co-operative in Vale do Cai. Soon, this co-operative was working together with another group, the Associaçao Amigos da Natureza. All members of the co-operative felt the need to analise and validate their work, and also to find answers to some of the problems commonly found by all members. Ecocitrus started working with researchers and other actors in the region. A first step was taken thanks to a participatory research project which was funded by the state's government, and which was co-ordinated by EMATER, the state's extension agency. This involved the Ecocitrus farmers and also the members of Amigos da Natureza, together with representatives of EMATER, and also students and lecturers at the Federal University. This group of prefessionals and specialists on ecological citriculture was formed in 2002. EMBRAPA, the Brazilian agriocultural research organisation, joined the group later on.

Focusing on the need to control a disease known as pinta preta (or ), a special research group was formed in 2008 within this broad group. Formed by students, lecturers and farmers, this smaller group has been carrying specific research in the field, and also in different labs. They meet regularly, and they analyse the procedures followed and the results found, and discuss the way to go in terms of control mechanisms (such as, for example, when using organic inputs for biological control). The results presented by the members of Ecocitrus show that these attempts have been positive.

Documentation and more analysis
During the seven years that this group has been working together, they have had many opportunities for meeting and analysing their work. A new opportunity arose with the Seminarios de Construccao do Conhecimento Agroecologico, organised by ABA Brasil. The group decided to take part, and a representative attended the workshops organised in Brasilia in July 2009. Two months later, betwee August and September, the group got together again in order to look at its own own contribution in terms of building knowledge. The group started a systematisation process, looking in detail at the work of the different organisations which make up the group, and at the results achieved.

Representatives of all organisations got together to plan this process and decide how to carry it out. After several meetings, they decided to consider a few parameters as the main structure of their analysis:

• participation; looking at the commitment of all organisations, and the participation of individuals in the meetings and when carrying out different tasks; taking into accound the differences seen according to gender;
• communication, sharing and dissemination of information, considering the communication processes within the group, and also looking at how information was (and is) shared with the general public;
• consolidation of a network, looking at the way this is being built outside the group itself;
• technology and other results, considering the way in which the specific results of the research process are being taken and used by farmers in and outside the group;
• training and non-formal education, looking at how the different groups exchanged ideas;
  resources, their use, needs and availability;
• the impact of the whole experience on the group.

The last step considered a broad meeting, where this was all put together, comiong to a final document. This was presented at the 6th National Congress of Agroecology which took place in Curitiba in November 2009.

More information?
Please write to Derli Paulo Bonine, EMATER / RS
E-mail: bonine@emater.tche.br