Research and development actions carried out by a public agricultural research institution with traditional peoples and communities of the Pantanal Sul-Mato-Grossense

Abstract

The peoples and traditional communities (PCTs) of the Pantanal play a relevant role in the use and conservation of biodiversity, as well as in shaping the sociocultural reality of their territories. The objective of this work was to promote a brief review of some research actions carried out by Embrapa Pantanal and partners with PCTs in the Pantanal Sul-Mato-Grossense (the area of Pantanal biome that is located in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil) over the last decades. In addition to the authors’ experiences, some studies related to these peoples and their communities were identified. Through the reflection on traditional knowledge and the “recognition” of PCTs by the State, this study provides a brief history of these peoples of the Pantanal and approaches the research with the Guató Indians. Next, the interventions towards the pantaneiros (inhabitants of the Pantanal) in the colonies of the Taquari River and the review of the experiences with the traditional population of the Antônio Maria Coelho community in extractivism of bocaiuva are presented. After that, experiences with artisanal live bait fishermen are described and, finally, some elements about the ethno-knowledge identified in the experiences and the challenges for RD&I are analyzed. The importance of this knowledge in understanding the occupation and permanence of these populations in the Pantanal is highlighted, as well as the definition of development strategies that respect and value local social dynamics.