Open University: Participatory action research with rural youth in Brazil
A new pilot study led by the Open University is using Participatory Action Research (PAR) to address one of the most persistent challenges facing rural territories in Brazil: the out-migration of young people.
Funded by the Open University’s Open Societal Challenges programme, the research brings together agroecology and the solidarity economy (economia solidária) to explore how young people can build viable, territorially rooted livelihoods that enable them to remain on the land.
From agroecological transition to youth permanence
In recent years, Brazil has seen a growing convergence between agroecological production methods and solidarity-based economic practices, often referred to as EcoSol-agroecology. While this transition has improved rural livelihoods and strengthened collective forms of production, it has not fully addressed the continued departure of young people to urban areas in search of work and opportunity.
Responding to this gap, the pilot study has shifted its action-research focus towards youth permanence on the territory, working directly with rural youth through a series of participatory workshops.
Working with Solidaristic Conserved Territories
The research is framed through the concept of Solidaristic Conserved Territories, which links environmental conservation, collective economic practices and territorial identity. The approach is particularly relevant for traditional communities, including as caiçara communities, where social reproduction, livelihoods and ecosystems are closely intertwined.
Through hands-on activities, young participants have explored ways to:
- Valorise local natural resources through artisanal and bio-based production
- Exchange knowledge within and across communities
- Strengthen their identification with their territory
- Experiment with solidarity-based economic practices
Recent workshops have included the creation of handicrafts from recyclable materials and biocosmetics activities that connect biodiversity, agroecology and a solidaristic bioeconomy.
Building on long-term research collaboration
The pilot continues a research partnership between the Open University and the Universidade Estadual Paulista that has been in place since 2017. It extends Participatory Action Research methods developed through the AgroEcos project and contributes to the wider OSC challenge on strengthening agroecological transitions in Latin America.
Follow the research
Field reflections and emerging insights from the project are being shared through a series of blogs documenting the participatory process: