Bruno Ubiali, a PhD student in Anthropology and Integrative Conservation at the University of Georgia and a member of BNRGI, visited the Amazonian Institute of Family Agricultures (INEAF) at the Federal University of Pará in Belém from 06/06 to 06/13/2022. The purpose of the visit was to get to know the work of INEAF members and strengthen ties with them, particularly those working in the Santarém region, where Bruno will carry out his doctoral research.
Bruno talking to a vendor at the Ver-o-Peso market.
Prior to working in Pará, Bruno conducted his Masters’ research at the Cazumbá-Iracema Extractive Reserve, in the state of Acre. His work, featured in a new publication in the journal Land, used a common property perspective to analyze different forms of access to Brazil nuts and their relationship with land uses adopted by extractivists.
From Belém, Bruno headed to Santarém, where he is currently conducting exploratory fieldwork. His preliminary doctoral fieldwork will look at cultural notions of land from the point of view of Ribeirinhos and large-scale farmers, aiming to understand the cultural and social values of forest-based livelihoods and industrial agriculture in the Amazon. Santarém was chosen as the research site because it is an agricultural frontier where Ribeirinhos' livelihoods and corporate interests are – and have historically been – in stark contrast. The objectives of this initial and exploratory fieldwork are to collect primary and archival data, identify communities and individuals with whom Bruno will conduct his research, and establish partnerships with local scholars.
Bruno Ubiali and Evandro Neves in a visit to Ver-o-Peso.
In this sense, the conversations and reflections with INEAF members were very helpful for Bruno, who aims to develop a contextualized dissertation that is relevant for the local smallholder farming communities. INEAF doctoral student Evandro Neves and Professor Valério Gomes provided Bruno with essential logistical support during his visit. The academic experience was complemented with a taste of the rich Pará culture in visits to the Ver-o-Peso market, museums, and cultural events in the Belém region.