TERRITORY, WORK AND HEALTH IN AGROECOLOGY: GENDER ISSUES IN THE CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABILITY FOR BRAZIL AND PORTUGAL

• Grant number: 25/14601-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: April 06, 2026
• End date: April 05, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Sandra Francisca Bezerra Gemma
• Grantee: Sandra Francisca Bezerra Gemma
• Host Investigator: Liliana Cunha
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas (FCA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Limeira , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade do Porto (UP), Portugal

Abstract

This research project aims to analyze work in agroecological production systems (Organic Agriculture) in Brazil and Portugal, examining its impacts on farmers-particularly on the relationship between health and work among women farmers-within the context of sustainability challenges. It is a study focused on the analysis and understanding of living work, informed by a gender perspective, with a qualitative, descriptive, and applied approach. It adopts an interdisciplinary methodology that integrates the theoretical and methodological frameworks of activity-centered ergonomics, ergology, and the psychodynamics of work (PDT). The proposed methodology includes both open and systematic observation of farmers' activities, individual and collective interviews, as well as the formation of focus groups. This qualitative research seeks to contribute to the analysis of work in agroecology by aiming to understand the challenges related to ecological food production, as well as issues concerning agroecological transition, commercialization, production certification, and agricultural succession. It is expected that the results of this research will provide a basis for public policies that promote the inclusion of young women farmers, ensure equitable access to support policies, and enhance local production and the reduction of food insecurity. The intention is, therefore, to inform and foster public policy guidance in this field from a labor-centered perspective, in response to climate change, food insecurity, and job insecurity.ObjectivesGeneral Objective:To analyze work in agroecological production systems in Portugal and compare it with research data from Brazil, focusing on its impacts on farmers-particularly on the relationship between health and work among women farmers-facing the challenges of sustainability.Specific Objectives:To analyze and understand, in a systemic and integrated manner, the interconnection between territory, work, and health in agroecology in light of sustainability challenges, from an interdisciplinary and gender-informed perspective;To characterize the population of Portuguese agricultural workers (area of work, role, experience in Organic Agriculture and in the Organic Agricultural Production Units - UPAO, sex, gender, identity, age, education level, income, health conditions) and compare the findings with research conducted in Brazil;To characterize the Organic Agricultural Production Units (UPAO) in Portugal (Northern Region) and compare them with Brazilian research findings regarding the main tasks and work activities of farmers, the primary technologies used, the processes of agroecological transition, commercialization and production certification, as well as the dynamics of succession and future prospects;To analyze the relationship between health and work and aspects related to occupational safety from the perspective of sustainable work, aiming to identify the main threats to work in both countries.Materials and Methods:The research will seek to recruit, select, and contact Organic Agricultural Production Units (UPAO) in the northern region of Portugal to collect primary data, which will be compared with data from previous studies conducted in Brazil. In the UPAOs, open and global observations of the farmers' activities will be conducted. Individual and group interviews, as well as focus groups, will only be carried out with the consent of the workers involved. The data will be transcribed based on the recorded interviews. Data analysis will follow Gatti's (2005) propositions, focusing on: the thematic content of participants' speech; relationships among participants; the context of speech; and the sequence of discourse. Regarding the content of the speech, it will be necessary to assign categories (Bardin, 2011) through the reading of the transcribed texts, based on the recordings and in accordance with the discussed themes, to enable systematic data interpretation.