Abstract In a context of searching for economic sustainability and health-promoting practices, agroecology presents itself as a point of integration of several knowledges: traditional, scientific, productive technical and economic-social. Moreover, in order to truly achieve sustainable agriculture, all aspects of food production, distribution and consumption need to be integrated, and consumers’ choices can be considered as an impact factor on the environment. This article aims to characterize consumers in three agroecological markets in the municipalities of Belo Horizonte, Santana do Riacho and Jaboticatubas, in Minas Gerais. A primary data survey was used, with 191 questionnaires applied in three agroecological neighborhood markets. The statistical analysis used was cluster analysis; 2 clusters were identified: a) “Consumers Closer to Agroecological Knowledge”; and b) “Sustainable Consumers and Less Close to Agroecological Knowledge”. These analyses allowed to identify the real perceptions of consumers regarding agroecological markets and to define assertively the limitations of the locations, in addition to showing which strategies are the most appropriate to simultaneously meet the needs of consumers and stimulate the sale of products, thus ensuring the financial viability of farmers.

Abstract: The reductionist and disciplinary paradigm of the Green Revolution coexists with the emerging paradigm of complexity, which values the holistic and the interdisciplinary. Agroecology promotes the need to understand the multiple biophysical relationships that exist in agroecosystems, and this calls for the development of new methodological tools. Sustainability indicators are an example of this. However, their implementation is not simple, as this requires an instrument to simplify the construction of such indicators. The objective of this work is to use the “mental map” as a guide for the development and application of indicators. The graph follows the conceptual path that facilitates the understanding of the variable and its breakdown into smaller and measurable units of analysis, i.e. the indicators. The created mental map has two stages: the development of indicators and their application. Its utility is presented in a case study that addresses local environmental knowledge (LEK). The results of this work show that complexity can be translated into quantifiable, measurable, and comparable variables, without this representing the loss of its characteristics. In addition, it proves that the created tool facilitates the evaluation and understanding of the functioning of agroecosystems, which contributes to decision-making.

Abstract The sustainability of organic production and the agroecological transition of farmers in the Chapada dos Veadeiros region was evaluated using the Environmental Impact Assessment System of Agricultural Technological Innovations (AMBITEC-AGRO). The evaluation process consisted of three stages: 1st survey and data collection, 2nd application of questionnaires and 3rd individual interviews. Data were entered into electronic spreadsheets, generating quantitative results of the impacts of activities carried out on rural properties. The indicators of the data obtained are organized in weighting matrices and automatically transformed into impact indices expressed graphically. These indexes resulted in the Percentage of Impact of Technologies - PIT, which characterizes the percentage gain of technology for each of the criteria of the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the productive units. For the environmental dimension, the PIT showed a reduction of -3.73%, where the general index of impact of the activity was 0.95 and after the transition to organic and/or agroecological production it went to 1.29, with a difference of 0.34. In the economic dimension, the PIT was 7.70%, the employment variable with 0.73 and income with 3.89 were the ones that most contributed to this percentage. In the social dimension, the PIT was 7.19%, the most prominent criteria being the consumer with an average of 3.74 and health with an average of 2.99. In this sense, the transition to organic and/or agroecological management, mainly due to the reduction of environmental impacts, provided greater sustainability for agricultural activities in the region.