By Edward Shore
Quilombola Seeds is the second in a three-part series produced by the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA). It explores quilombola agricultural systems in São Paulo’s Ribeira Valley, the last reserve of endangered species and wildlife in Brazil’s most heavily industrialized state. Quilombos are rural black communities descended from fugitive slaves in Brazil. Onerous environmental restrictions have prevented quilombos in the Atlantic Rainforest region of São Paulo from planting subsistence garden plots that their ancestors maintained for centuries. As a result, quilombos have last many rare varieties of beans, rice, and corn. Malnutrition has skyrocketed. Communities faced food shortages. Now, with the assistance of researchers and the Instituto Socioambiental, the region’s quilombos are fighting back! This video includes English subtitles produced by our public historian, Edward Shore, and ISA anthropologist and videographer Alexandre Kishimoto.
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