Company-Community Agreement and Conservation of Traditional Knowledge in the São João Batista Agro-Extractive Settlement Project, Abaetetuba – Pará

Objective: To learn about the agreement between the company and the community and the conservation of traditional knowledge in the São João Batista Agroextractive Settlement Project, Abaetetuba - Pará, with the aim of presenting a practical experience carried out in the Amazon, which involves the partnership between the company and the community, and its effects on the conservation of traditional knowledge and the maintenance of productive practices based on environmental sustainability. Theoretical Framework: It is based on the approach to social reproduction and the challenges for the conservation of traditional practices and knowledge, with an emphasis on the Amazonian rural space. Method: In carrying out the research, a qualitative approach was used with on-site visits, observation and non-directive interviews with extractivists in the study area. Results and Discussion: The results obtained revealed that the PAE has historically undergone abrupt transformations in the mode of production and local production practices, due to the advance of the frontier. The changes resulted in the encouragement and adoption of açaí cultivation as the main economic activity of the locality. The high potential and diversity of natural resources in the settlement made possible the partnership between the cosmetics company, operating on the national scene, and the community, for the economic use of fruits naturally expended from plant species, with the use of sustainable techniques, in addition to the açaí commercialization agreement. It was verified that, regarding the relationship, there was due respect for the maintenance of practices and the conservation of traditional knowledge for the use of plant diversity, in addition to enabling the insertion of new techniques. Research Implications: Successful experience between company and community enabling a harmonious and respectful relationship in the use and economic exploitation of natural resources in the Amazon. Originality/Value: A relevância desse estudo está no debate sobre modelos e formas de cooperação no espaço rural amazônico, ao apresentar uma experiência exitosa que associa a proposição de novas técnicas, pautadas na sustentabilidade ambiental, para a realização de práticas produtivas para o aproveitamento econômico de produtos não madeireiros extraídos da floresta, associada a conservação dos conhecimentos tradicionais e a manutenção da autonomia produtiva dos extrativistas. Essa realidade não é predominante na região, que apresenta altos índices de relações conflituosas e de práticas de usurpação de territórios tradicionalmente ocupados para a implementação de grandes projetos e, consequentemente, a alteração ou até mesmo o extermínio dos conhecimentos tradicionais.