15519 - A educação ambiental como ferramenta na formação de agricultores ecológicos Environmental education as a tool in the formation of ecological farmers

The rural environmental education is a tool of paramount importance to the body of knowledge aimed at rural sustainability. Medianeira of family farmers employ sustainable production system, through organic farming, which is a strategy to minimize the risk of impacts to agroecosystems, because it eliminates the use of commercial fertilizers, as well as high technology, providing cultural services and environmentally friendly not only for the rural population, but for the community at large. By studying these systems, it is possible to improve the knowledge about the dynamics of complex systems, especially the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and practical principles for designing more sustainable agroecosystems suitable for small farmers. The positive result of this methodology is made by the active participation of the community in the search for the strengthening of agro-ecological family farming in the municipality of Medianeira.