This article focuses on Josué de Castro's analysis about subsistence agriculture as presented in one of his main works: The Geography of Hunger (1946). Castro's work is reviewed against the historical and intellectual context of the time it was produced. The author conceives the term 'subsistence agriculture' referring to self-sufficiency farming, especially that practiced in quilombos and Sertão, which enables the expansion of the food possibilities of a region and allows meeting the population needs. The relevance of subsistence agriculture in the thought of Josué de Castro is derived from his personal trajectory, theoretical influences, as well as the context of groups and spaces frequented by the author. Emphasis is given to the aspects considered crucial for the consolidation of his political project grounded in fighting hunger by encouraging subsistence agriculture and supporting the fight against landlordism and monoculture.
Josué de Castro; Subsistence agriculture; The Geography of hunger