at a glance

The hypothesis was that amongst the different factors that contribute to sustainability, one would be more relevant than others, in this case, the socio-cultural factor. The conceptual basis of this work is related to the theoretical underpinnings of sustainable development and sustainability (social, cultural, economic, ecological, environmental, technical, agronomic, and political-institutional).

The methodology was divided into two phases, an exploratory phase, to bring to light some institutions involved in agricultural activity and which act in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, and field research, in order to identify active groups and families. The role of urban agriculture, in their socio-cultural and environmental function, is indisputable.

Many families choose this activity for their livelihood, not purely for these reasons, but also because they can sell their surplus, achieving competitive prices due to the production system they use, which is based on agro-ecology. For the most economically vulnerable farmers, agriculture at least provides them with fresh and varied food, thus saving them money on the purchase of other products.