Farmers (and fishermen) from Brazilian Central Amazon: rationalities and recent trajectory of agricultural systems in two conservation areas of the Middle Solimões, Amazonas

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the role of agriculture in production systems and the RDS Amanã Mamirauá, describing your historical background on nine different communities that are within these two reserves, and identifying key existing productive identities. Prevails in all communities a complex production system, consisting of agriculture, fishing, hunting and gathering, with agriculture or fishery assuming protagonist role, according to strategy chosen by each family. The agricultural systems are undergoing intense transformation process, directly related to the intensification of contact with the community city life, with the implementation of nature conservation policies and with the increasing of agricultural products importance in generating income for these families. The results revealed the occurrence of changes in the itineraries of technical production systems, with improvement in the process of flour production and establishment of agroforestry systems. However, agriculture in most commercia lpurposes, is further restricted to upland communities, mainly due to the hydrological regime of the floodplain.