Agroecology and Cooperativism

Fernando Götz is a young man that carries the love of agriculture since he was a kid – and that is proud to be a partner, since 2018, of a cooperative that operates in the organic market. He commercialized products in the conventional market and expects not to return to negotiating with middlemen when the transition is complete and Ecocitrus absorbs the organic citrus on its property. “I know what is like to harvest the most beautiful fruit in your orchard and then watch it being thrown away by the middleman”, he recalls. Fernando associated himself to Ecocitrus encouraged by the cooperative’s expansion program, that promotes the increase in citrus organic production in Rio Grande do Sul and the conversion of conventional producers. 

The critical view towards the use of pesticides does not come exclusively from knowing that the final price of the fruit box will be higher but takes in consideration a health hazard. Fernando got intoxicated when he needed to use pesticides to make the fruits match the aesthetic pattern of the conventional market: “I have a blood problem until today because of that”, he tells. 

Fernando has a partnership with the farmer Lucas Colling, with whom he works since 2016 in the city of Maratá, located in Vale do Caí. They are neighbors and know each other since they were little when Lucas used to spend his vacations in the countryside with his family. He is from Estância Velha, a city located in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul. He decided to stay in the country when he had to move, temporarily, to take care of his grandmother.

When Fernando got intoxicated, Lucas was tasked with applying the pesticides. “Then I said that, if I had to keep doing that, I would quit too,” says Lucas. “It is a horrible sensation. Even with the protective equipment, you get dizzy”, he explains.

The decision to be part of Ecocitrus was taken by both, and they are initiating the implementation of an agroforestry system and participate in meetings of the cooperative’s biodynamic agriculture group. The desire to do a lot is so big that they do not rule out the possibility of, one day, investing in rural tourism, as a way of spreading the importance of agroecology and their love for horses.

The team speaks affectionately about the participation in a cooperative, understanding Ecocitrus as a fairer commercialization market. For them, it is also important to see the decisions being made together, which feeds the feeling of belonging and listening. In addition to no longer having to apply pesticides, they negotiate directly with other farmers who know the reality they live in and who, like them, value a better world.

Recalling the history of the cooperative he helped build, Cláudio Laux, over 80 years old – in 2020, the oldest partner at Ecocitrus – did not hold back his tears: “In the beginning, we were few. But then another partner came, then another, and that’s how it went”. He remembers, with teary eyes, the first meetings, held at the Fink Hall, in Harmonia, and the friendships he made in over more than 25 years in the business. He is the patriarch of the Laux family, which has three partners at Ecocitrus: himself, his son Luís Carlos and his daughter Carla.

Cláudio was the forerunner of an ecological vision in the citrus industry of Vale do Caí and the first farmer in the region to buy a brush cutter, going against the prevailing idea of ​​leaving the soil uncovered. This practice imitates the model used in temperate agriculture, but disregards that, in a tropical climate and following the precepts of agroecology, the soil must have good vegetation cover.

Even with his old age, Cláudio is very active. He accompanies groups on walks with ease and talks to everyone. He is a founding partner of Ecocitrus, along with 14 other people who lead the cooperatives’ foundation – among them, his son Luís Carlos.

With restrained gestures and a constant voice when reporting the early days of Ecocitrus, Luís sums up that, for him, the cooperative has always been linked to the word “knowledge”, as it allows meetings and gatherings in which one learns together – and a knowledge that permeates the life, not just agricultural technique. He remembers that, in the beginning, Ecocitrus citrus farmers took a stand against a movement already consolidated in Brazilian agriculture, which started in the 1960s with the so-called Green Revolution. Back then, the farmers were largely encouraged by the government to use pesticides, in a model that combined ready-made packages and financial subsidies to purchase them. Agroecology was not as widespread, much less within the citrus culture, and was called “alternative agriculture”.

It is easy to find out what Luís has already achieved when you talk to the other partners in the cooperative, who quote ideas, reference experiences and share knowledge that he has taught them. He was one of the first farmers associated to Ecocitrus to participate in an biodynamic agriculture course, in 1998, in Botucatu – SP. Since biodynamic practices need to be made in groups, it took at least another three years before other members knew the model and could then apply this type of agriculture, created by the Austrian Rudolf Steiner and passed on in a series of conferences in 1924 .

Currently, the Laux Family has three properties certified by the Demeter seal – which attests biodynamic management – with agroforestry systems implemented and consolidated. Beyond that, Luís is active in the management of the entity, having been president and acting as secretary to the Administrative Council in the period 2019/2021. 

In contrast to her father and brother’s calmness, Carla is quick and talkative. She joined Ecocitrus in 2009. “I grew up hearing my father and Luís talking about the cooperative, about ecology and the environment. It was quite natural to become a partner after them”, she explains. She proudly walks in the orchards that she cultivates. In the beginning, she did not want to work with agriculture, but accompanied the family because she did not want to go to college either. With time, she became passionate about the activity. 
The three of them are a complementary family that carries, in its essence, the philosophy of Ecocitrus. More than cultivating fruit, they reinforce the cooperative system, which is already present in nature, and value what is best for the group, taking ecological agriculture forward.

“My life and the life of my family are intertwined with the history of Ecocitrus”, summarizes Maique Kochenborger, president of the entity in the 2019/2021 management. The cooperative was founded when Maique was 13 years old. “I grew up with it”, he concludes. In the Kochenborger family, there are three partners: Maique, Irineu and Darvin, who cultivate in the city of Montenegro – RS.

“We got involved in ordered to be able to leave pesticides behind”, explains Irineu Kochenborger, father of Maique and one for the 15 founding partners of the entity. He recalls that the trust of the founders in the cause was so great that they even mortgaged their lands as collateral for financing.

Irineu got very involved in the creation of Reaviva, composting plant operated by Ecocitrus and founded in 1995. The intention was to generate organic fertilizer for application in the partners’ organic orchards. At the time, one of the difficulties for associated farmers was to find supplies that did not contain chemicals. “I kept working and then Maique grew up and took my place”, he says, signaling that the process was natural.

Maique has held various positions within the organization: truck driver, assisting in the classification of agribusiness fruits, marketer, tractor driver, member of the Fiscal Council, treasurer… In the 2019/2021 management, he became president, a position that offers a comprehensive view of the needs of the cooperative.

In the management of the properties of the Kochenborger family, there is another member that participates, defining himself as a curios partner: Darvin, Mavin’s brother, who joined in 2009, five years after his older brother. Darvin attributes the choice to remain in rural activity to Ecocitrus: “If it weren’t for the cooperative, I wouldn’t see a very promising future in planting citrus”.

It is not infrequent to see Maique and Darvin joking with people around them, making environments – even if serious – a little lighter. When questioned about a word that defines Ecocitrus, they do not hesitate and fire away – each being interviewed separately and without knowing each other’s previous answer: “passion”. If it depends on the Kochenborger family, Ecocitrus is maintained, too, by feelings – and not just by numbers that show that cooperativism and ecological citrus plantation are a viable combination.

Adilson Schultz was born in Colatina, a city located in the Vale do Rio Doce, in the state of Espírito Santo. He grew up surrounded by agriculture, in a family where every generation worked in farming. He came to Rio Grande do Sul to attend college, when he met his wife, Anete Roese. Later, the two lived for more than a decade in Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais, where they were university professors.

In their travels, it was in the mountainous geography of Linha São João, in Salvador do Sul where Anete grew up, that the couple settled in 2014. Both, over 40 years old and with solid careers – he in Sociology and Theology, she in Psychology and in Human Rights -, moved to the countryside not only to develop a healthier lifestyle, but to be ecological farmers, in a region that has a growing number of Ecocitrus associates.

The capixaba discovered Ecocitrus in Belo Horizonte, when the cooperative still marketed mandarin orange juice at retail. In Salvador do Sul, the opportunity to become a partner came from the entity’s expansion program. Participative in group meetings promoted by Ecocitrus, Adilson believes that cooperativism adds value through trust. “There is guaranteed sale, as well as group work. You always learn something”, he points out. 

The philosophy of agroecology resonates in Adilson, who found in country life a way to develop his spiritual and sociological knowledge. When he changed his life, Adilson knew that he wanted to follow the ecological tenets of Ana Primavesi – whose work is exposed in a living room furniture, next to an armchair and close to a wood stove.

Less than a decade working with agriculture, Adilson and Anete’s property is already certified by the Environment Department of Rio Grande do Sul as an Agroforestry System, and acquired the Demeter seal, which attests to biodynamic management. “It is the result of a responsible attitude in the production of citrus, working in harmony with all living beings”, concludes Adilson.

Inês Cecília e Rudi Lottermann são um casal tão afeiçoado e ligado à agricultura que passaram a lua-de-mel plantando mudas de laranja-valência. “E 40 anos depois, elas ainda estão produzindo”, conta Rudi, orgulhoso, completando a história que começou a ser relatada pela esposa. “Sempre trabalhamos juntos na agricultura”, recorda Inês, com um sorriso que raramente desaparece do rosto – e fica especialmente largo quando vê os netos reunidos em meio aos pomares.

As mudas que seguem produzindo são precursoras de uma família cuja energia irradia na propriedade e no envolvimento da cooperativa. Dos cinco filhos de Inês e Rudi, dois permaneceram na agricultura: Marcos, vice-presidente da Ecocitrus na gestão 2019/2021, e Vilson, entusiasta da agricultura biodinâmica, da homeopatia e dos sistemas agroflorestais.

Rudi conta que a transição para o orgânico iniciou quando participou de um evento em que o palestrante falou: “Feliz aquele que logo sente os efeitos do veneno quando o aplica”. Matutou a frase e migrou para um estilo de vida que considera a própria saúde e, por consequência, da família e do planeta.

O trabalho em família é regra na propriedade dos Lottermann. Vilson trabalha ao lado da esposa, Cândida, com quem tem quatro filhos – um, nas fotografias, ainda está na barriga. “Foi ele que me conquistou a retornar para a agricultura”, conta ela, que é formada em Fisioterapia, mas não exerce mais a profissão. “E voltar foi o nosso projeto familiar”, completa. Vilson trabalhou por 10 anos em uma construtora, mas sempre teve o sonho de ser agricultor. Concretizou o desejo em 2012, dois anos depois de Marcos, que voltou em 2010.

Marcos, assim como Vilson, trabalhou por cinco anos em uma construtora. É formado em Administração, e, cansado da rotina estressante na empresa, decidiu retornar para a propriedade. Enfrentou, inicialmente, a resistência dos pais, que achavam que não haveria possibilidade de crescimento. Marcos fez contas e argumentou com planilhas que a escolha era rentável.

No primeiro ano em que se tornou agricultor, em 2010, produziu 1.000 caixas nos hectares que tinha. Foi estabelecendo parcerias com vizinhos, aumentando a produção e, em 2019, colheu mais de 14.000 caixas. Ao mesmo tempo, foi se envolvendo na gestão da Ecocitrus, colocando em prática sua pós-graduação em Desenvolvimento de Lideranças.

As laranjas-valência plantadas na lua-de-mel de Rudi e de Inês Cecília são administradas, hoje, pelos filhos do casal – completando uma cadeia que, para além de ser rentável e de estar na mão dos agricultores, é afetiva. Rudi conta, entre risadas, que entregou todas as terras que tinha aos filhos, oficializando a confiança de trabalhar em família. “Virei funcionário deles”, brinca.

Celso Luiz and Paulo André Reichert are brothers and partners in Ecocitrus since 1996. Enthusiasts of cooperativism, because it is a fairer form of group marketing, the team is part of a family of five brothers, all of whom work with agriculture. They followed their parent’s profession and cultivate, today, in cities that integrate an important producer belt of Ecocitrus: Harmonia and Pareci Novo. The wives of both are also associated: Regina Reichert and Marlise Reichert.

Each couple administers their property, where the flagship are varieties of the trio that characterizes citrus in the cooperative: orange, bergamot, and lemon. Celso and Regina, in Pareci Novo, and Paulinho and Marlise, in Harmonia.

Before joining the cooperative, Celso and Paulinho utilized pesticides in the orchards – already in a low quantity, due to their critical view -, but they saw in organic production an alternative that was profitable as well as respectful to nature. Both have an aligned speech about the importance of cooperativism: commercializing ecological production is much stronger when it is done in groups. At Ecocitrus, they also highlight the possibility of entering the international market with juices and essential oils, valuing farmers even more.

Paulinho’s passionate life for citrus was accompanied by his wife, Marlise. She was an employee in a textile industry before the wedding but was contaminated by the beauty of working in the field. She frequently shares photographs of everyday life on social media, receiving praise from friends and followers. “They have no idea of what we do here”, she says, being committed to carry forward the message of cooperativism. As she walks through the grove, she observes: “My passion is lemon”. When asked why, she does not hesitate: “Because of the smell, the color, because it is easy to handle, it is good to work with, and it is the best juice there is”.

What touches the Reichert brothers, on the other hand, is the possibility of their sons staying in the property. Their children admire the life and even say, when questioned, that they want to be farmers in the future. All members of the family see in ecological agriculture more then a subsistence activity, but a passion in which the love for what you do is combined with the guarantee of financial return above the conventional market.

With the support of cooperativism and the promotion of agroecology, the choice is no longer, as in the past, something that presumes financial difficulties. It is possible to have profit, have security and carry on the philosophy of a world in which organic food is a reality and where the farmers are valued.

Mercilda Teresinha Hoffmann and Marcos Hoffmann share, with pride, that their youngest son decided to go back to the property at the age of 22, at the end of 2019. Anderson left his job in a mechanics shop in Montenegro to work with his parents, in the same city, after growing up amidst the citrus orchards. He saw in the ecological agriculture and cooperativism a profitable path and had the support to fulfill this change: he took over the family property, of 5 acres, and acquired another one, of 3 acres, with the support of his parents. 

Teresinha and Marcos associated with Ecocitrus through what, at the beginning of the business, were quotas destined for certain groups. Teresinha joined in 1996, trough a quota for a group of women, formed by eight members who were associated with Harmonie Citrus – association considered a precursor of Ecocitrus. Marcos associated trough a quota of employees of Reaviva, a composting plant operated by Ecocitrus, where he worked from September 1996 to January 2015. Since 2007, he was the operational manager of the plant. 

The two remember, in a mist of nostalgia and respect for their own history, that, when Teresinha went into labor to deliver Anderson, she was taken to the hospital by Marcos – who soon came back to the house to keep on harvesting oranges, only returning a little before the youngest son came into the world. “Our children grew up surrounded by organic production”, sums up Teresinha, a smiling and calm farmer, who is involved in issues that affect the participation of women in the cooperative.

The couple is a reference inside Ecocitrus when it comes to homeopathy practices. It was a provocation made by Marcos that originated the foundation of the group, in February of 2017 – which meets up every two months under the coordination of the cooperative’s agronomist, Daniel Büttenbender. Homeopathy gathers knowledge from the medicinal properties of plants and restores the health of orchards through ancient recipes using herbs and teas.

“I had the dream of harvesting all the oranges for juice. And I did it. We got there”, sums up Teresinha. With the return of their youngest son to the property and through the ancient understanding of nature, the Hoffmann family finds safety in the cooperativism and takes forward, with pride, the philosophy of agroecology. The Hoffmann family enjoys helping others and believes in knowledge – the essence that resonates in the cooperative.