Um conceito menos panc: a relação das "plantas do passado" entre vendedoras do Mercadão 2000 em Santarém, Pará

Abstract

Mercadão 2000 represents the main popular market in the city of Santarém, in western Pará, where an impressive variety and quantity of medicinal products are sold, among others, and especially food. Based on a bibliographic survey about what naturalist navigators showed when they passed through Santarém (PA) and conversations with sellers of plants, such as fruits, vegetables, roots, leaves and flowers at Mercadão 2000, I investigated what is meant by the category “plants of the past” and if these are still used in the present, and if the category of the term PANCs (Non-Conventional Food Plants) fits for this case study in the Amazon. The sellers hold a rich repertoire of knowledge related to the collection, preparation, use, consumption and sale of “plants of the past”. The women expressed the observed and utilitarian importance of the “plants of the past” in the daily life and rituals of their families and the population of Santa Catarina. For them, the continuity of knowledge and use of “plants of the past” is a crucial point, where women act as the main holders and messengers of the phytocultural domain that is transmitted from ancient generations. The saleswomen learned to take care of the plants since they were children with their great-grandmothers, grandmothers and mothers. In view of this, it debates the role of women in transmitting knowledge related to the use, care, and preparation of the “plants of the past”, whether in family and personal uses, such as in negotiation and sales relationships between consumers and, also, how the PANCs did not fit into my case study, not being included in the non-conventional category, as they are plants used daily. Therefore, the relationship between women and plants makes a great contribution to my research, and can be seen through the transfer of knowledge.