Perceptions of IFMS Corumbá students on agroecology and food safety

Abstract

This article is an excerpt from a dissertation that habits and notions investigated about agroecology and food safety with technical level students from the Campus Corumbá of the Federal Institute of Mato Grosso do Sul (IFMS). The objective was to describe and discuss the perception of students from the Corumbá Campus about agroecology and food safety. Descriptive and quantitative methodology was used. After bibliographical and documentary research, the interrogative method adopted was the questionnaire with open and closed questions. There was a need to apply it by digital means due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which limited face-to-face access to students in the year of the survey (2020). The questions addressed the young people's conceptions in relation to healthy eating habits, perceptions about public lunch policy and understanding of how agroecology impacts on food production. Most of the students reported not knowing the meaning of agroecology, and those who expressed their opinion made relationships with agriculture, ecosystem, healthy food or without pesticides. Those who attended the agroecological fair on campus said they opted, most of the time, to buy food such as cake, homemade sweets and honey, even buying vegetables such as lettuce. On the other hand, when they visit the city's fairs, outside the agroecological context, they purchase a wide range of products such as clothes, CDs and DVDs, snacks, soft drinks, as well as fresh food sold by the vendors. Regarding the question about food safety, the answers varied between the quantity and quality of food, and the consumption of healthy, natural food or without pesticides. This research revealed the need to inform young people – and the school is a favorable environment for this – about the value of food and the importance of agroecology and food safety.