Sustentabilidade e agricultura familiar em Vitória da Conquista-BA

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the sustainability of Family agriculture in the Vitoria da Conquista City. The study was accomplished on the basis of the integrated analysis which comprises the cultural, social, economic and physical-environmental features as fundamental supports to discuss the sustainability. We still sought to understand the role of public policies for the family agriculture, rather the programmes and projects which are appointed as sustainable ones. The theoretical-conceptual basis which founds the research conceives the sustainability in the context of the family agriculture by means of the proportions suggested by Sachs. The methodological procedures consisted in the analysis of theoretical framework on the concepts undertaken in the thesis –mapping of the use of soil; field surveys to verify the elements which were mapped in the small properties; application of questionnaires towards the small family farmers; implementation of interviews with social subjects involved in this working class. The research has shown that the environmental conditions influenced on the kinds of agroecosystems of the small family farmers and, consequently in the spatial organization of the study field.It became evident that the State plays a fundamental role in the process of transition to the sustainability and maintenance of agriculture in the family manner, corroborating it through the public policies. The obtained results allowed the formulation of some strategies towards the agricultural systems studied in order to enable larger integration between family agriculture and sustainability. Through the analysis of the indicators, it has been possible to evaluate the spatial, cultural, social, ecological and economic sustainabilities in the family agriculture in the Vitoria da Conquista City. The study pointed to the needs of productive actions which allow the improvement of the income of the farmers, the produce of healthy foods and, sustain the natural recourses. We noted that the sustainability in the ecological and economic proportions is low; in the social and spatial ones, it is medium and; the cultural sustainability is high. The non-balances between such proportions cause the incitement of inequalities, what it points to the need of efficient public policies, able to resolve the problems which are presented. The research also revealed that some government programmes, for example the PRONAF (National Program for Strengthening of Family Farming), emphasize the environmental issues not enough.