Peri-urban development and the role of small-scale farming in metropolitan areas in Brazil

Keywords: small-scale farming, peri-urban development, metropolitan dynamics, rural-urban interface, Rio de Janeiro-Brazil
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 02:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 03:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 1

Abstract

The densification of cities is presently one of the dominating strategies for urbanization globally. However, how densification of cities is linked to processes in peri-urban areas is less well understood. Bringing the case of Brazil, the paper highlights the importance of building upon academic knowledge of the complexity of farming in an urbanized context. The inclusion of the voices of small-scale farmers and their social organizations allowed for an understanding of the relational agricultural systems that are formed between rural-urban interactions and demonstrate how these are dynamic and changing. Empirical findings show that small-scale farmers are active actors who make rural space dynamic and are not as passive as they are commonly portrayed. Intensive contact and interaction of rural and urban processes can thus cause positive outcomes in farming.

This paper explores farming mechanisms that contribute to flexibility and adaptiveness in agriculture in the metropolitan context, focusing on the spatial dynamics of the Rio de Janeiro Metropolis. It demonstrates that resilience is gained through identifying and exploiting opportunities for sharing and adapting resources to promote multifunctionality in agricultural activities. The results provide useful insights for understanding the nature of rural-urban interactions in metropolitan areas that might in turn inform policies for promoting local and regional quality food systems, small-scale farming strategies, and resilient rural futures. In particular, the research provides new and rich perspectives on peri-urban development and how small-scale farmers in the metropolitan space are responding, and might respond, to pressures and opportunities created by urbanization and globalization.