The ancestral organization of work in the production of guaraná in Maués/Amazonas

Abstract

The dynamics of guarana production is permeated by indigenous ancestry and organized into a set of processes that mark its heterogeneity compared to other cultures. This perception is based on the opinion of the social subjects who directly participate in the production and consider the cultivation of guarana as a science. Thus, this article aims to understand the dynamics of guarana production in the municipality of Maués-Amazonas and the ancestral influences that permeate this process. The information presented is the result of field research carried out with workers from three guarana producing associations in Maués/Amazonas, one of which is managed by indigenous people. The research site was the Alto Urupadi region, which in the geopolitical division of the municipality comprises the 11th pole of sustainable development. Different techniques and data collection instruments were applied during the research, including some methodologies indicated in the Participatory Rural Diagnosis (DRP) processes that were applied during the group work. For individual interviews with workers, we applied forms with open and closed questions. The results indicate that the production techniques of the so-called native guarana are differentiated due to ancestral influences and that this process even influences the quality of the products.