Agroecology to postpone the end of the world? Investigating public health discourses and views on agroecology

Abstract

Agroecology has been an object in collective/public health in an increasing way in the last two decades. As its gains relevance, it is important to verify how Brazilian’s academic health literature has addressed agroecology, considering persistent trends towards reduction, standardization and emptying when concepts are appropriated by the field. Scientific health articles were analyzed through content and speech analysis, paying attention to the recurring meanings and themes and also to the ‘absences’ in health discourses related to agroecology. Apparently, collective health instrumental approaches tend to be associated with more ‘technical’ agroecology perspectives. Persistent silences are related to ‘traditional’ / ‘indigenou’ / ‘popular’ and woman protagonism in agroecological knowledge construction; recognition of the emergence of agroecology as a scientific field as part of the historic popular movements struggle; and, further, to the consideration of agroecology as a scientific field that is in dispute, just like collective health. Considerations are made involving the reduction of agroecology as an ecological-based agricultural system that ‘naturally promotes health’, and its possible repercussions in agroecological agenda cooptation. It is discussed the importance of concept critical appropriation in deepening dialogues between collective health and agroecology fields.