To correct nature’s mistakes

Hubris, agronomic knowledge and apple production in Southern Brazil

Abstract

This article discusses some technical discourses that emerged in the process of introduction of apple orchards in Fraiburgo, Brazil, since the 1960s, through a historical reading of technical documents, literature, and interviews. The temperate climate fruticulture has always been characterized by insecurity insofar as the regional climate of Fraiburgo is not fully adequate for production. In response, business and public sectors have invested in technology, and this became the main justification for interventions in the natural world, based on the construction of an agronomy hubris.