The search for better living conditions and commercialization of production led to the emergence
of the Cooperative of Small Agroextractive Producers of Lago do Junco (Coppalj), which, since
its emergence, has contributed to improve social reproduction conditions for its subjects, through
a combination of a range of social, economic and environmental resources, that allow them to
guard against lack of opportunities, poverty and marginalization resulting from social injustices.
The work seeks to identify the transformations in local livelihoods derived from the combination
of strategies adopted by Coppalj and the perceptions of members and non-members about its
effectiveness, as well as its contribution to the construction of self-management, peasant
autonomy and productive and technological diversification within its territory. The study is based
on bibliographic and documentary consultation, combined with semi-structured and interactive
interviews in communities where Coppalj operates. It demonstrates how, with its policy of
valuing agricultural and extractive production, the cooperative collaborated for the emergence of
new perspectives and the increase in families‟ access to income. It also highlights the actions
taken by peasants during agrarian conflicts, which resulted in the creation of organizations that
have played an important role in guaranteeing their rights, and the contribution of actions of the
Catholic Church to peasant political organization in the Mearim Valley.
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