O Impacto das Manifestações Culturais na Agricultura Familiar: Uma Reflexão sobre o Cultivo de Arroz nos Pântanos de Mitande

Okhwela wa Matamanyelo a Nchara ni Omáthekela: Otxalela wa Ovaruwa wa Nroce n’Mithupuni sa Mitande

Abstract

This article analyzes the impact of cultural manifestations on family farming in the Mandimba district, northern Mozambique, with emphasis on rice cultivation in the wetlands of Mitande. The research, of a qualitative nature, involved 12 farmers from the villages of Macerema, Mucembuca, Nachingueia, and Madina, currently residing in Mathenge. Sampling followed the snowball technique, and data were examined through thematic content analysis. The results indicate that the abandonment of ancestral lands cannot be explained solely by technical factors but also by symbolic and spiritual dimensions. Unexplained production losses were associated with the so-called “superstitious theft,” related to witchcraft and invisible conflicts. For farmers, land is conceived as both a productive and spiritual space, whose harmony depends on the observance of ritual practices and community cohesion. Mathenge was described as a safe territory, where agricultural productivity is restored in balance with the symbolic dimension. The study concludes that rural development policies must integrate traditional knowledge, local worldviews, and the cultural meanings attributed to land; otherwise, they risk failure in contexts marked by spirituality and collective memory. Thus, agricultural sustainability is intrinsically linked to cultural sustainability.S