Geography goes to the table

culinary code in a peasant community in the northeast of Pará

Abstract

The New York Times highlighted the negative impacts of the presence of large Western food companies in developing countries, encouraging reflections on food empires, globalization and food homogenization. In Brazil, on the other hand, there is a range of peasants who practice self-production and defend self-sufficiency in food and life. This study investigates the changes in the eating habits of the Castanhalzinho community, in Concórdia do Pará – PA, in the face of industrial consumption to the detriment of agroecological and natural food. Using a qualitative approach and fieldwork, the impact of access to industrialized foods, which often replace local production, was analyzed. Despite this, cassava production emerges as a symbol of resistance, highlighting the cultural and symbolic roots of this community. The study adopts a critical and geographical perspective, highlighting the challenges and strategies for preserving local ways of life in the face of the influence of the globalized food model.