Ecological Justice As A Compass For Actions In Favor Of Urban And Peri-urban Agriculture

Abstract

This article explores the theory of justifications for the analysis of the motivations and strategies of actors in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in the state of São Paulo, considering perspectives for the development of their territories. With an approach crossing sociology and geography, the research which subsidized the elements brought to analysis in this article was based on a semi-structured interview, field observation, and documental analysis, considering the Milton Santos settlement in Americana and Cosmópolis and the Zona Leste Farmers Association in São Paulo city. The right of land access is central to the UPA. The claiming of this right, as well as the conception of the roles played by the practices concerning UPA, mobilize references of justice with ecological outlines, which offers increasing legitimacy to the cause, generating various types of support. However, the evidences of the studied cases point out that UPA is far from having a recognition that would ensure its perpetuity and growth.