Environmental perception of resident farmers in agroforestry yards

The objective of this study was to investigate aspects related to the perception of sustainable agriculture, especially on agroforestry yards, on rural properties of family farmers. Considering the proposed objectives, the present research is methodologically characterized as quantitative, exploratory and descriptive. The work was carried out on rural properties of the family farmers of the Rural region of Ponte Alta, Gama Administrative Region, in the city of Brasília, Federal District, Brazil. The questionnaire used was composed of five blocks of questions, structured according to the objectives to be reached, in order to identify the profile of the family farmers, use of the yard, and environmental perceptions. The data treatment was performed through descriptive statistical analysis, using the R² software. We interviewed 99 people aged between 18 and 83 years with an average age of 49 years. Family farmers in the Ponte Alta - Gama region have little education. About 40% of the interviewees did not finish high school. Most farmers plant for the purpose of feeding, amounting to 96.97%. Then, the main reason is the trade, with more than half of the respondents, 57.58%. Finally, the other reasons were not so relevant, leisure with 14.14%, landscaping with 13.13%, occupational therapy and others with 8.08%. 45% of the informants refer to water as the main factor of the environment, while 75% have the perception that deforestation is the main source of aggression to natural resources. The agroforestry yards, in addition to ensuring a rich and diverse diet, both for self-consumption or to market surpluses in the local marketing channels, allows the planting and conservation of forest species important for the conservation of nature and softens environmental impacts on small farms. The study of perception in ethnobotanical and socio-forest relations can favor a more sustainable use of environmental resources.