A LOOK AT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN "GERAIZEIROS" AND FORMAL RESEARCHERS WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF IDENTIFYING ALTERNATIVES FOR THE SUSTAINABLE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE OF MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL

Abstract

Geraizeiros are traditional peoples living in the Northern part of the State of Minas Gerais whose livelihoods are based on a close relationship with the environment of the Brazilian Savannah. This study describes the experiences regarding the exchange of knowledge and the relationships established between researchers and “geraizeiros” in the analysis of food strategies and the social reproduction of these peoples. The text discusses the scientific approach towards the livelihoods of two communities and ways to work with traditional communities in order to preserve their wisdom. It also discusses the contribution of external agents to the creation of knowledge, without the imposition of rules and limits that could undermine the creativity of such peoples while allowing for alternatives that could improve their quality of life. The collective creation of knowledge undertaken by “geraizeiros” in partnership with a formal researcher and the strengthening of local food production initiatives resulted in the reintroduction of cultivars already adapted to the area, the beginning of a process to select new and more productive cultivars, the incorporation of new ways to use and manage native species as well as the expectation of preserving the area's sociobiodiversity.