Agricultura familiar e gestão social: ONGs, poder público e participação na construção do desenvolvimento rural

Abstract

Family agriculture is a sector of the Brazilian rural that historically has looked for larger spaces for representation of its interests. For this it has been counting on aid from support organizations, created by it. This study intends to evaluate two consolidated Territorial Development Organizations (TODs), that act in more than one municipal district articulating support actions for family agriculture: the Centro de Agricultura Alternativa Vicente Nica (CAV) and the Associação Regional de Trabalhadores Rurais da Zona da Mata (Regional Association). The study also seeks to analyze the processes of the family farmers' participation inside those organizations, their relationship (and consequently that of the farmers) with public power seeking to satisfy their demands, their participation in the current policies of social administration, and the potential of those organizations for the empowerment of family agriculture, for the creation of social capital and for promotion of rural development. The qualitative approach methodology was used, the case study being used, accomplishing data collection through semi-structured questionnaires, document analysis and non-participative observation. It was observed that both organizations worry about the participation of the farmers in their activities and they value their knowledge and culture, stimulating the empowerment and social capital among them. This is given through support to the organization from those farmers, from participation in network organizations, from building of partnerships with public and non-public entities, among other factors. It can also be noticed that studied TODs contribute to the conformation of identified territories to family agriculture, through micro-regional performance, and have been acting in social administration spaces in the municipal district as well as in the state and country. Through this performance they contribute to the representing of family agriculture interests and towards the incorporation of their demands the those public policies.