Family farming and environmental sustainability in the Amazon floodplain

Growing vegetables in the Amazon floodplain is an activity that requires patience, technique and persistence. The ribeirinho lives in close coexistence with the phenomenon of rising and falling waters of the Amazon River. Parallel to the activity of producing vegetables and crops such as corn, watermelon, beans and other short-cycle plants, the family of the Amazonian caboclo is dedicated to fishing, raising a few head of cattle and renovating fences and houses affected by flood waters. These are built with wood taken from the floodplain itself or else extracted from the forests of the firm land, and some are built more than two metres high, which is why they resemble hanging gardens. During the flood period it is as if the plants were being cultivated within the river itself. The cultivation of vegetables in counters takes place all year round in an example of planning and persistence of the Amazonian man.