FINAL6 STUDY

Question 0

Family farming

Answer 0

84.4% of Brazil’s rural prope
- 24.3% of the Brazil’s agricultural area (~80 million ha) - Average area size: 18.37 ha
- 45% pastures
- 28% forest and agroforest - 22% cultivated areas

Question 1

Fiscal module

Answer 1

is a land unit used in Brazil to indicate the minimum area necessary for a family to subsist (economic viability).

The size of the fiscal module varies according to the municipality (5-110 ha), with fiscal modules near to urban areas being a lot smaller than the ones in very isolated rural areas

Question 2

Non Family Farming

Answer 2

15.6% of Brazil’s rural properties
- 75.7% of the Brazil’s agricultural area (~250 million ha) - Average area size: 309.18 ha
- 49% pastures
- 28% forest and agroforest - 17% cultivated areas

Question 3

Cassava (Manihot esculenta)

Answer 3

~200 varie@es Versa@le species
Rapid evolu@onary response to management
(selected phenotypes + genotypes are fixed in a
rela@vely fast rate)
Gene@c variability amplifica@on (seed bank + inter-varietal breeding)

Question 4

Roça
’

Answer 4

High diversity of cul@vated species and varie@es
• Rely heavily on local knowledge, local management
prac@ces, cultural background (local rules, social organiza@ons)
• Diversity of origins of cul@vated plants (Andes, Central America, Amazon, Europe, Africa)
• ‘Agroecological coherence’ (mimicking nature)

Question 5

Evolutionary Dynamics of the Roça

Answer 5

3 Levels of analysis:
1st level: Roça
• Where micro-evolu@onary processes happen (muta@on, gene
recombina@on and selec@on, gene@c driR) – 2nd level: Community of various roças
• Further micro-evolu@onary process can happen here (gene flow between isolated popula@ons facilitated by anthropogenic ac@vi@es – e.g. exchange of materials between different families and communi@es)
– 3rd level: Communi@es located in a region
• Context where you can have exchange of material and people moving around to cul@vate other areas further way – gene flow between very isolated popula@ons, something really unlikely to happen without anthropogenic interven@on

Question 6

Fixing variability

Answer 6

Variability stored in the seed banks
ü Open gaps – add the variability under the soil
ü Seed banks have 3 types of seeds:
– Interspecific breeding
– Intraspecific breeding
– Self-fer@liza@on (endogamy depression – not a vigorous genotype)
ü ARer germina@on – natural and ar@ficial selec@on
ü Natural selec@on filter
ü Human filter – farmers criteria
ü The farmer ‘fix’ the new variability by immediately propaga@ng the selected plant (vegeta@ve propaga@on), which will then generate new varie@es

Question 7

Fire + deforesta@on are among the main environmental problems in Brazil

Answer 7

directly related to loss of diversity