A hands-on workshop for creating and developing recipes using native Cerrado foods. This is the proposal of the new Baru Experimental Kitchen, inaugurated in June in Family Agricultural School (EFA) of Porto Nacional, Tocantins. Located about 60 kilometers from Palmas, the unit brings together elementary and high school students, who combine their school education with technical courses focused on the rural area.
At the school, there is a diversity of origins among the 264 enrolled students, who come from more than 30 municipalities in Tocantins and even from outside the state. They are sons and daughters of family farmers, rural workers and artisanal fishermen, or belong to quilombola communities, agrarian reform settlements, and some even have no prior connection with the countryside.
According to the coordinator and teacher of EFA, Cirineu da Rocha, considering the different experiences that students bring from their homes while studying in the alternating model. (school time and community time)The idea behind Cozinha Baru is to bring socio-biodiversity products from the Cerrado, the biome where EFA is located, into the school environment, in addition to using foods produced at the school, such as milk and cassava.
“We hope that the Baru Experimental Kitchen will be a space that fosters new experiences. Based on the knowledge that students bring from their communities and the work of educators, we want to develop recipes, test possibilities, and further value the products of the Cerrado,” comments the coordinator.
The baru nut was chosen by students and families to name the kitchen due to the region's strong connection with the fruit. Its importance is also reflected in school meals in Tocantins: alongside the jatobá fruit, it is part of the food acquired through the National School Feeding Program (PNAE), which mandates that at least 30% of the resources allocated to school meals be used to purchase products from family farming.
Among the students who will use the new space is Lívia Carvalho de Jesus, a first-year high school student in the agricultural technical course. Living on a farm in Miranda do Tocantins, where her father works, she emphasizes that the training offered by EFA helps strengthen the connection between young people and the countryside and generates knowledge that will be applied in their communities.
“We always take home what we learn here. I myself share many things I learn at EFA with my family. I can even apply them to my father's garden, and he accepts my tips on different ways of working,” says Lívia.
For the student, the kitchen represents yet another opportunity for practical learning. According to her, the new space will allow her to experience the content covered in her courses, expanding her experiences with food processing and the use of products.
In this educational model, practice is not just a class; it is a dimension of student development, based on the Pedagogy of Alternation, which integrates theory, work, territory, and community.
Agroecology as the basis of the pedagogy of EFA Porto Nacional
At the school, agroecology is part of the students' education and guides activities that connect food, rural production, and sustainability. Students and teachers at EFA Porto Nacional are developing a project to implement an agroforestry mandala and a nursery for seedlings of native Cerrado species.
According to ISPN's socio-environmental analyst, Bruna Braz, spaces like the EFA have the power to engage young people. "Young people become more aware of the importance of conserving the Cerrado, its waters, and the land. They are also important spaces for strengthening the construction of 'Buen Vivir' (Good Living), combined with agroecology and social justice," she assesses.
According to Joicileia Juliate Fonseca, a professor in the agricultural sciences area who oversees the activities, this process helps young people understand the relationship between production, food, and sustainability. She emphasizes that the experience helps to demystify the idea that only large agricultural systems are capable of generating results, showing that small, diversified areas also produce food, knowledge, and autonomy for families.
"We want to show students that it's possible to produce healthy food with the resources we have, respecting the soil, valuing diversity, and taking advantage of everything the environment has to offer," the teacher comments.
The Baru Experimental Kitchen was renovated and equipped with support from the Ecos Fund, a financial mechanism of the Institute for Society, Population and Nature (ISPN). The project is carried out in partnership with the Association of Family Farmers and Agro-industries of Palmas (Agrop) and was included in the 38st noticeIn addition to the kitchen, the Fund supports the implementation of the agroforestry mandala and the seedling nursery.
Call for Proposals 38 is aimed at young people and women, with funding from the Socio-environmental Fund of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and the Social Development Area of Suzano. In total, five rural schools are included in this call for proposals, benefiting more than 300 students.
Over the past 30 years, the Ecos Fund's support for contextualized rural education schools has reinforced the importance of youth leadership in addressing the climate crisis through agroecology. In this regard, two thematic calls for proposals, focused on these young people in an unprecedented way, have been published in recent years. Want to know more? Follow the Ecos Fund website and stay informed about open calls for proposals.
