New Actors in the Ecological Agriculture Movement

Sumario: The main purpose of this paper is to show how the ecological subfield took shape in the Brazilian agriculture and how it represents a way of confronting a hegemonic agricultural and food order that expanded through scientific and technological development following the political and economic interests of certain actors. A socially non inclusive and environmentally unsustainable agriculture was so forged. The concept of “field” within the contemporary sociological theory is used in this analysis as a confrontation between political actors on behalf of the ecological and agroindustrial models, respectively. We also highlight how the landless agricultural workers movement (Movimento dos trabalhadores Sem-Terra, MST) has been attracted to the ecological subfield, given that the organization is a political actor. Finally, we stress that ecological agriculture has been an important strategy to fostering food sovereignty and security.