Cultivando regeneração a lógica econômica em agroflorestas sucessionais

We are facing a systemic and multidimensional crisis that has in its core the dominant economic paradigm. Overcoming this crisis implies, among other measures, considering economic perspectives that favor regenerative dynamics. This paper presents a synthesis of the economic logic of successional agroforestry, with related ecological and social aspects. The synthesis draws from the results of a participant observation study of three agroforestry systems in Brazil, with different socio-economic characteristics: neorural, family farmers from land-reform settlement, and large-scale commodity producers. Discussion of results considering the literature on the theme lead to two propositions about the regenerative potential of successional agroforestry: 1) the ecological succession of agroforestry corresponds to an economic succession, with a tendency of increasing systemic benefits, especially with the development and management of trees; 2) the economic succession of agroforestry and its potential benefits necessitate public policy support to materialize at the scale of society, such as supporting regional value chains for timber and non-timber forest products, adequate legislation to favor native species cultivation, and a tax reform that acknowledges the importance of agricultural systems with high labor intensity. It is argued that the systemic benefits of agroforestry are in the interest of society as a whole, not only of producers and direct consumers, thus justifying policies that recognize and favor the materialization of those benefits.