Coletivo de Agroecologia de Jaboticabal

The CAJa (Coletivo de Agroecologia de Jaboticabal) was established in 2011 following the 4th Agroecology Week at FCAVJ, which was organized independently by a group of 30 students from undergraduate and graduate programs. The group has since engaged in both individual and collective activities within university departments and contributed to organizing various events, such as regional, state, national, and international meetings, as well as the Articulação Paulista de Agroecologia Forum. Since 2012, CAJa has been a part of the National Network of Agroecology Groups (REGA), collaborating with groups across Brazil, EMBRAPA Meio Ambiente, and rural settlement areas.

In 2016, CAJa revitalized its activities to strengthen agroecological knowledge and practices within the university, aiming to make agroecology accessible to the academic community and integrate it more effectively. In 2017, the group launched a PROEX-funded project to expand its impact. This initiative focused on consolidating the group's actions for the regional community, promoting family farming through sociocultural activities, fostering interactions between consumers and the academic community via collaborations with small farmers and settlements, and planning an experimental organic agroforestry system paired with a meliponary at FCAV. These efforts aimed to preserve and manage native species, conduct research, and disseminate results to broaden public awareness.

Between June and August 2016, CAJa organized efforts to engage undergraduate and graduate students, prioritizing agroforestry systems (SAFs) and stingless bees. In September, the group conducted four hands-on training activities, starting with a field day at the Mario Lago Settlement (Ribeirão Preto) and a visit to the Meliponário Recanto Abelha Nativa (Jardinópolis).

The field visits explored SAF implementation and succession stages, featuring vegetables, green manures, fruit, and forest species, along with management techniques. At the meliponary, participants learned to identify stingless bee species and techniques for hive transfer and multiplication. Workshops on bait traps were held to teach methods for capturing swarms during natural dispersal, helping ensure the successful nesting and development of meliponine species. Some traps were donated to workshop participants to encourage ongoing engagement.

Find out more (in Portuguese):
https://cadernos.aba-agroecologia.org.br/cadernos/article/view/1716

The members of CAJa dream of building a more sustainable and inclusive world where agroecology plays a central role in shaping local communities. Their vision is to create a thriving network of students, farmers, and researchers who are committed to sharing knowledge, supporting small-scale family farming, and developing innovative agroecological solutions. They aim to make agroecology not only an academic discipline but a practical, hands-on approach accessible to all, empowering people to reconnect with nature, improve food systems, and promote environmental stewardship. Through their ongoing work with agroforestry systems, meliponary practices, and community initiatives, they hope to inspire a movement that leads to greater food sovereignty and ecological balance in both rural and urban settings.

Looking to the future, CAJa envisions a flourishing regional agroecological hub, where knowledge, culture, and innovation come together in harmony. Their dream is to expand the reach of their projects, involving more local farmers, university students, and external stakeholders to collectively co-create solutions for sustainable farming and biodiversity preservation. By building strong partnerships with organizations such as EMBRAPA and supporting ongoing research, they aim to influence public policy and further integrate agroecology into educational curricula. Ultimately, their mission is to ensure that agroecological practices become mainstream, offering a viable and resilient alternative to conventional agricultural models, and contributing to a healthier planet for generations to come.