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Abstract
In the last decade, the Landless Workers Movement (MST – Movimento dos
Trabalhadores Rurais Sem-Terra, in Portuguese), which fights for land reform in Brazil, has
radically changed its speech towards guidelines recommended by the agroecology. The aim
of this study was to understand, from a theoretical-historical approach, the appropriation
of the concept agroecology as a motto in the struggle for agrarian reform holded by the
MST. Classic conceptions concerning the role of the peasantry in contemporary societies
and attempts to make “theoretical bridges” with the speeches and the actions taken by the
MST in its history, based in a documental analysis were conducted. The conclusion is that
the defense of agroecology in the MST, based on a chayanovian speech, is on an upward
curve, in contrast to the previous prevailing speech of collectivization and promotion of specialized large farm units inspired in the orthodox Marxism. It also points out that the agroecology, for the MST,
goes far beyond the productive dimension, adding significant political questions.