Significados de lutas: um olhar sobre a "Conquista de Terras" na Zona da Mata de Minas Gerais

Abstract

This paper proposes a consideration on an experience of access to land developed in Zona da Mata region, Minas Gerais state, since the 80’s by familiar farmers, a Labor Union of Farmers and a Non-Governmental Organization that were acting in the area. The research used qualitative methodology and it was developed in three stages that allowed the reconstruction of the experience trajectory by means of documents and interviews with technicians, farmers, agriculture workers, and also with some people that did not participate, but followed the process at distance. The experience, named “Conquest of lands”, made possible to farmers and agriculture workers the acquirement of a piece of land by using loans made among the farmers and also from a rotational fund (created in the 90’s) with this purpose. The idea of accesses does not restrict itself to property, but also includes the development of alternative forms of production (agroecology), strengthening of farmers and agriculture workers organization, the valuation of agriculture workers know-how, and the active insertion of them in the market and in local politics. The experience involved directly until 2006 110 families that had access to 489 ha of land. In the “conquest of lands”, the fight is not only for the acquirement of a piece of land, but for the search for creation and consolidation of dignified conditions of life from the land exploring according to alternative practices of production and organization.