AGROECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: A REPORT ON PEDAGOGICAL EXPERIENCES WITH NATIVE CERRADO SEEDLING PRODUCTION

Resumen

The integration of agroecology, ecological restoration, and sustainable entrepreneurship represents a promising pedagogical strategy for vocational education in threatened biomes. This chapter reports on and analyzes an integrated pedagogical pathway developed at the Formoso do Araguaia Campus of the Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Tocantins (Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Tocantins, IFTO), comprising two sequential teaching projects conducted with students enrolled in the Technical Program in Agriculture between September 2023 and August 2024. The Cerrado em Foco project trained students in propagation techniques for six species native to the biome: yellow trumpet tree, jacaranda, jatobá, fava-de-bolota, Cerrado cashew, and cagaita. Activities included collection, processing, dormancy breaking, sowing, and phytosanitary monitoring. The Projeto Semente project transformed this technical knowledge base into an object of entrepreneurial analysis through a participatory survey of the local seedling market and the group development of business plans. The approach was grounded in the principles of Project-Based Learning, experiential learning, and agroecological education, integrating teaching, research, and extension into a single educational pathway. Approximately 1,350 native seedlings were produced, a germplasm bank containing the six species studied was established, and nine business plans were developed. The results indicate that progressively integrating environmental conservation, technical training, and entrepreneurship enhances student engagement, fosters meaningful learning, and contributes to the sustainable socioeconomic development of the territory. The experience demonstrates the approach’s potential for replication in other vocational education contexts in threatened biomes.