Cultural traditions contribute to sustainability in Brazil

Ana Paula Santos is an urban farmer in the Penha neighbourhood of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. In the third and final episode of the "Women and Agroecology" series, the interviewee reflects on the importance of agroecology for women farmers.

“It's part of their knowledge, their ancestry, what our grandmothers lived by. So, to work with agroecology is to bring back my grandmother's syrup, traditional ways of eating,” Santos says.

In this series we meet three women farmers who are preserving their cultural heritage while nurturing the earth for future generations. 

Through their connection to the land and the wisdom gained from their ancestors, they foster sustainable agriculture and cultural identity. As stewards of cultural diversity, they are shaping a future where agricultural practices are not only sustainable but also rooted in tradition and respect for the land.

From seed conservation and crop diversity to traditional farming techniques and culinary arts, women play a key role in safeguarding the cultural and biological diversity of the world’s agrifood systems.