The Agroecological Approach and Interdisciplinarity in the Scope of University Teaching, Research and Extension

Abstract

The Courses of Agrarian Sciences have been losing their original characteristics through the pasting years, especially after the WWII, under the influence of the ‘green revolution’ over agriculture practices worldwide, increasing productivity to address the hunger extinction. The productivity has been significantly increased since that. However, the hunger remains a huge concern across the world. This model also generated several social and environmental negative externalities. Some of reasons for these results are well-known. The agri-food systems were captured by few international corporations, who control the entire the food chains from the farms to the supermarkets shelves. Therefore, the courses of agrarian sciences are being realigned to prepare professionals to work only for these sectors of agriculture. Furthermore, these conglomerates are guided by the international commodity markets, undermining the local markets of food production and distribution. Notwithstanding, with the arise of agroecology movements, this model has been strongly questioned both inside the educational institutions and across the society. In this context, some universities launched courses with agroecological approaches, whose UNEMAT, in the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso, is one case, where the bachelor’s degree in agronomy incorporated not only the agroecological approach, but also an interdisciplinary teaching. That is the experience that this article is about. It includes an analysis of the historical, pedagogical and political aspects that influenced the course design, from its conception until its collapse. The lessons learned offer insights to how being more successful in designing new courses of agrarian sciences based on interdisciplinary and agroecological approaches.