Learning sustainability: urban community garden paths in Southern Brasil

Abstract

The article addresses the importance of interdisciplinarity in education and in promoting a culture of sustainability in cities. It highlights concerns related to environmental risks, social inequality and injustice, and reiterates the need to address these challenges in a collapsing world. The idea of ​​crossing the desert is explored as a metaphor for facing contemporary challenges, arguing that this coping involves participation in situated social practices, especially in communities of practice. Communities of practice are thus defined as sets of relationships between people, activities and the world in which they live over a given period of time. They play a fundamental role in learning thought of as a social practice. The Lomba do Pinheiro Community Garden is presented as an example of a successful initiative that promotes environmental education, social inclusion and organic food production. The history and principles of the garden are highlighted, including its role in forming communities of practice. The text concludes by emphasizing the importance of support from educational institutions and political articulation between different actors to face contemporary environmental and social challenges.