Aspectos da sustentabilidade de explorações fumageiras no centro-sul de Sergipe

Abstract

Tobacco farming became a prominent area in the family farming of Colônia Treze Povoado, Lagarto/SE, with a notable expansion in the 1970s, with significant importance for the local reality, both related to socioeconomic aspects and environmental implications. The Village has economic representation not only for the municipality of Lagarto, but also for the Country Agricultural cultivation of tobacco is one of the sustenance of local family farmers, still it may cause serious implications for health and the environment. In vie of this, the research problem is brought to evidence, which was mounted on the following question: what are the socioeconomic and environmental effects caused by tobacco farming in the Colônia Treze Village? The general objective of this research is analysing the sustainability of agricultural tobacco production estates. The methodological procedures included the qualitativequantitative approach method, based on the construction of the Indicateurs de Durabilité des Exploitations des Agricoles (IDEA) method. With this method, it was possible to evaluate the levels of sustainability agro-environmental of the tobacco production estates of Colônia Treze, and to understand and analyse the data obtained by open questions, the comprehensive analysis method was used. The research‟s results showed the agricultural cultivation of tobacco as one of the main family farming plantations of the Village, regarding the forms of managing, it was observed that agricultural diversification emerges expressively between the cultivated products, as well as tobacco famers organisation in order to maintain this activity in rural areas. Data also stressed the economic extent as being the main source of incentive for family farmers to grow tobacco. The IDEA method evaluation contributed on verifying the sustainability of tobacco farmers of Treze Village, analysed as a limiting factor for the agro-environmental scope, emphasizing the variables related to disponible surface water and biodiversity. The study allowed a better understanding of the agricultural practices developed by the tobacco growers from Colônia Village, comprehending that the tobacco production should continue to be part of the Village‟s family famers history, however, with the adoption of more sustainable alternatives for its production, in a way to benefit not only socioeconomic aspects, such as environmental ones.