Family Farming Knowledge Platform

The diversity and the emergence of ecological family farming at Canguçu (Rio Grande do Sul)

Perceptions, strategies and speeches

This  study aims  to  identify  and  analyze  the perceptions and  motivationsof  unconventional farmers from Canguçu, Rio Grande do Sul, in conducting "different" production systems. The city, considered to be the Family Farm National Capital has approximately 10,000 agricultural establishments  with  an  average  area  of  16  hectares.  Medium  characteristics  favored  an incomplete agricultural modernization process, which means that modernization did not reach all rural establishments in the same way, although there are distinct reasons. These different "levels" of  modernization  represent  different  relationships  with  the  market  and  use  of technology, thus  generating  different  styles  of  agriculture.  The  styles  farming  theory  is  an analytical reference  for  understanding  the  different  ways  of  conducting  agriculture. Furthermore, the reasons why farmers join one style or another leads to specific perspectives to how knowledge is produced in its transition process. Field work, based  on data collected through  interviews,  field diary  and  observations  enabled  the  identification  of  the  different denominations of these farmers. These data were organized by using QSR NVivo 8.0 software to run the data analysis, concerning their content. It was identified that the farmer's decision, whether  conventional  or traditional,  to  another  system  production,  based  on  “green” management, can follow different starting points, but also can showlinks to different periods of movement expansion, then called "alternative". Transitions can occur due to needs imposed by  the  medium  characteristics;  the perception  of  tightness  caused  by  increased  costs  and reduced  profits;  an  economic  inability or  a  geographic  isolation.  In  addition,  they  can  be caused by the influences of actions external to the property, as the invention of the “green” that brings out new opportunities for niche markets by requiring certified products. Different conditions produce a variety of situations observed for this “green” agriculture style. There are  among  these  farmers  a  significant diversity  regarding  social  and  society-nature relationships, as well as in their trajectories as producers over time.

:
:
:
:
:
:
Publisher: Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
:
:
:
Author: Joana Cicconeto
Other authors: Roberto Verdum
Organization: Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
:
Year: 2011
:
Country/ies: Brazil
Geographical coverage: Latin America and the Caribbean
Type: Book
Content language: Portuguese
:

Share this page