Traditional seeds in the quilombo remnant community of Lagoa de Melquíades e Amâncio, middle Rio Pardo river basin, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

This article analyzes the conservation of native seeds in the Lagoa de Melquíades e Amâncio Quilombo Remnant Community, located in Vitória da Conquista, in the middle portion of the Pardo River basin, within a context marked by the expansion of eucalyptus and coffee monocultures and the intensification of territorial conflicts. The study, which employed a qualitative-quantitative approach, was based on semi-structured interviews, a survey of conserved varieties, and a comparative analysis between household seed banks and the community seed bank. The results show greater diversity and conservation effectiveness in household seed banks, with low similarity to the community seed bank, indicating that the maintenance of agrobiodiversity occurs in a decentralized manner. The vulnerability of the community seed bank is linked to the discontinuity of public policies, the absence of ongoing technical assistance, and its implementation without an in-depth assessment of local dynamics. It is concluded that native seeds constitute the material and symbolic foundation of productive autonomy, food sovereignty, and Quilombola territorial resistance in the face of the advance of agribusiness.