What Does wild Mean
If we review the etymology of agreste , we will notice that this adjective comes from agrestis , a word from the Latin language. The first meaning that the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) attributes to the term refers to that which is linked to the countryside (the rural environment).
For example: “Fifteen years ago I made the decision to leave the city and since then I have lived in a wild place, dedicated to raising chickens, ducks and other animals” , “I love wild landscapes where you can see the horizon without obstacles” , "Although this is a rough area, you must drive with caution because there are several villages and rural schools . "
The wild is also used to describe what is rustic , rough or wild : "In my country house we choose a rustic decoration" , "These animals live in a wild state and should not be disturbed" , "Do not expect many comforts in this wild place ” .
It is worth noting the negative nuances that the dictionary meanings hide in the definition of agreste : after explaining that it is a synonym for "peasant", of what belongs to the field, he does not repair in terms such as "rough" , "Rude", "rude" or "lacking in civility", which are far from being merely descriptive, but are loaded with an undeniable contempt for what is foreign to the city .
There are millions of people who are born and raised in the countryside; many of them remain in their homes and take on the tasks of their elders for the rest of their lives. Can we imagine how they feel when they turn to the dictionary to look up the definition of wild for the first time and are faced with such "accusations"? Surely the idea is fed in them that the city is where progress resides , that the peasants are inferior beings and that they deserve the innumerable ridicules to which they are subjected, because of being "rude", "rude" and "lacking in urbanity".
On the other hand, there is animal exploitation, always as the center of wild life, as if veganism did not exist , as if no one had ever proposed respect for all species equally and coexistence in peace. Many people decide at some point to leave the city to move to the countryside, but not all choose to lock up and torture other living beings: the mere objective of breathing fresh air and getting away from stress is enough to validate the decision.
If we return to the meanings of the word wild that seem to define it as something negative and we think about the ease with which human beings accept animal abuse, dressing it as livestock production , perhaps we understand that ignorance is not found in the countryside, but in the minds of those who see it as a medium in which violence is legal and necessary to subsist.
We can say that a field full of weeds or a field in which flowers have grown without any assistance from human beings are wild, and in both cases the concepts of nature and lack of sophistication are confused; But neither weeds nor wildflowers can harm us, unlike the smog and garbage on the streets of a big city.
In Brazil , it is called Agreste to an area of the Northeast Region that includes areas of Rio Grande do Norte , Paraíba , Pernambuco and Bahia . It is characterized by presenting scattered and small flora and rocky soil. The inhabitants of the Agreste usually dedicate themselves to livestock and agricultural tasks.
The Foundation Agreste , on the other hand, is an NGO that was founded in 1993 in Argentina . Its objective is to work in defense of the environment and promote sustainable development.
Finally, it should be noted that given the link that is usually established between the wild and nature , several companies carry the concept in their name.