Sustentabilidade ecológica, econômica e social da Fazenda Tamanduá com a agricultura biodinâmica, Santa Terezinha-PB.

Abstract

The destruction of the environment that is caused by synthetic fertilizers and chemical control of infestations used in large-scale agriculture has manifested itself in the last 100 years as degraded soil, contaminated food and human beings intoxicated by contaminated products. As a consequence, concern about preservation and conservation of the environment has been growing in the last years, searching for ways of sustainable food production. Several currents of ecological thinking developed, aiming at Bio-dynamic Agriculture. The central element behind bio-dynamic agriculture is the human being and his basic principle is the integration of all environmental agricultural elements in such a way that the agricultural organism retains permanent fertility, leading to a healthy soil, plants, animals, and human beings. Bio-dynamic agriculture started as a set of eight presentations by philosopher Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s in Poland which postulated the use of sustainable agriculture. Sustainability has gained ever more importance in society, leading agricultural industry conglomerates in the search for processes and strategies that balance ecological, economic, and social factors. The main objective of this doctorate thesis is to analyze the level of sustainability of the bio-agriculture at Fazenda Tamanduã located in Santa Teresinha, Paraíba, using a methodology based on a selection of ecological, economical, and social parameters. In chapter 40, the "Agenda 21 Global" recommends the use parameters from different domains in order to get a solid basis for decision making, thus contributing to the self-regulated sustainability of integrated systems of environment and development. Accordingly, the approach of the research work comprised: a review on sustainable development and sustainability applied to agriculture; the conceptual and classificatory approach on parameters, such as system parameters; modeling of parameters for ecological sustainability, measured in the case study of Fazenda Tamanduã; selection and definition of sustainability parameters, with the collaboration of Fazenda Tamanduã; and development of a DSR (Driver-State-Response) model according to OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). This model considers the domains of ecological, economical, and social sustainability, turning it into a practical means useful in guiding the development process, the administration and monitoring of productive bio-agriculture according to principles of sustainability. Finally, conclusions and some recommendations based on practical observations during the research work are presented.