In this article, and through an experience of visiting farms around Minas Gerais, I trace some of the connections, and disconnections, between family farming, environmentalism, wider debates about agriculture. Our relationships with the natural world vary from person to person, and I was privileged to discover some unexpected variety on a trip through the stunning region of southern Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Living in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, I have become very interested in local agriculture. Farming here is not much like it is in the south of the UK where I grew up. There, many acres are managed by few people with big machines. That happens here of course, but the number of families living on the land on small farms and producing milk, beef, coffee, corn, and sugar, with minimal mechanisation is astonishing. What's more, some of these families ownership and residence on the land stretches back for nearly 400 years, some of the original settlers to this part of the continent. Though they are often quite poor economically, they often have most of the food they eat, and perhaps some medicinal herbs, growing in the yard or ‘quintal’ - the area normally cared for by the woman of the household. Because of this practice of growing much of the food at home, they are far from risking starvation. This saved income can also be the equivalent to the income of the typically male managed commercial side. Work is hard and relatively low paid. Many children are leaving this lifestyle for university and jobs elsewhere. Yet, there are still many who much prefer this lifestyle to the city. And if you take a look at some of the images, you might understand at least one of the reasons: Minas is one of the most beautiful regions in the world, and there are few tourists around.
Living in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, I have become very interested in local agriculture. Farming here is not much like it is in the south of the UK where I grew up. There, many acres are managed by few people with big machines. That happens here of course, but the number of families living on the land on small farms and producing milk, beef, coffee, corn, and sugar, with minimal mechanisation is astonishing. What's more, some of these families ownership and residence on the land stretches back for nearly 400 years, some of the original settlers to this part of the continent. Though they are often quite poor economically, they often have most of the food they eat, and perhaps some medicinal herbs, growing in the yard or ‘quintal’ - the area normally cared for by the woman of the household. Because of this practice of growing much of the food at home, they are far from risking starvation. This saved income can also be the equivalent to the income of the typically male managed commercial side. Work is hard and relatively low paid. Many children are leaving this lifestyle for university and jobs elsewhere. Yet, there are still many who much prefer this lifestyle to the city. And if you take a look at some of the images, you might understand at least one of the reasons: Minas is one of the most beautiful regions in the world, and there are few tourists around.