Amazonian homegardens: Their ethnohistory and potential contribution to agroforestry development

Abstract

This chapter reviews how homegardens and a number of other traditional agricultural practices survived the aftermath of European conquest of Amazonia. The historical development of homegardens in Amazonia began with the evolution of agriculture and domestication of trees in prehistoric times, followed by the development of cultural complexes along the Amazon River and its main tributaries. These traditional societies, characterized by rich material culture and well-developed agricultural systems, were decimated by the combination of epidemics, wars and slavery that accompanied the European conquest. Yet, the homegardens survived in Amazonia, and today they represent the reorganization of the original indigenous practices within the context of the upheaval and changes brought by colonization and market economies, including the incorporation of introduced Asian fruit trees. Although homegardens near urban centers may provide income, in rural areas they are important chiefly for household subsistence. They are often the focus of experimentation with new tree species and cultivation techniques, and thus have the potential to contribute to the development of other agroforestry systems, and to extension efforts that seek alternatives for agricultural development in Amazonia