As roças e o extrativismo vegetal em comunidades rurais de Parintins, Amazonas

Abstract

This paper investigates traditional practices of plant cultivation and extraction in two rural communities located in the municipality of Parintins, state of Amazonas, aiming to understand the relevance of these activities for the subsistence, food security and income of local families, highlighting the interaction between local knowledge and the socioenvironmental changes observed in the region. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 42 residents, complemented by direct observation, guided tours and collection of botanical material whenever possible. A total of 43 plant species distributed in 38 genera and 26 botanical families were identified, with a predominance of palm trees from the Arecaceae family. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), tucumã (Astrocaryum aculeatum G.Mey) and açaí (Euterpe sp.) stand out as the most cited species, both for their food use and economic importance. The results indicated that farming remains the most significant agricultural activity, carried out mainly by family systems, without the use of pesticides, and with a strong influence of knowledge passed down from generation to generation. Production, based on the cultivation of cassava, banana, sugar cane, corn and other short-cycle species, is largely intended for own consumption, with the surplus used for marketing. Cassava flour has proven to be the main product sold, being essential for family income. Plant extraction, in turn, has become a secondary activity, with a mandatory reduction in the frequency of collection due to the decrease in the availability of some species and changes in fruiting cycles, attributed to environmental changes. The collection of fruits such as tucumã, Brazil nuts and bacaba still persists, but community members report that species that were once common are no longer found as easily. Although both activities are essential for the subsistence of communities, there is a clear distancing from traditional practices, driven by the introduction of external eating habits and the difficulty in distributing production. Furthermore, the lack of government incentives and limited access to technical assistance were identified as factors that hinder the maintenance of these practices. It was concluded that traditional farm management and plant extraction, in addition to guaranteeing subsistence and family income, play a fundamental role in the conservation of local biodiversity and in the maintenance of associated traditional knowledge. In view of the changes observed, the study highlights the importance of public policies that encourage sustainable agroextractive practices, promote the strengthening of communities and value the knowledge they accumulate, thus ensuring the continuity of these practices in the amazon context.