Turismo rural: alternativa de melhoria para a agricultura familiar do sul de Minas Gerais

Abstract

Family farms in Brazil are a segment of great importance in rural areas, responsible for more than 40% of total agricultural production. However, technological innovations as well as changes in the fields over the past decades have changed the social relations of workers in rural areas, forcing producers to seek alternative sources of income. Southern Minas Gerais, in the Southeast region of Brazil, is characterized by mountainous scenery, pleasant climatic conditions, rich history, culture and cuisine, besides being the state’s largest coffee producing region. In recent years the Brazilian coffee crop has increased in value because of the strengthening of family farming, cultivation of organic products and actions for environmental conservation. The objectives of the present study are to analyze the perspectives for rural tourism associated with small family coffee farming and identify the potential of rural tourism in the region of Poço Fundo, Minas Gerais, taking as models what is already happening in the city of Carmo de Minas, in the same region, with the "Special Coffee Route"; in Venda Nova do Imigrante (ES), a mountainous region with agritourism; in Colombia with Rural Coffee Tourism; and in the Valley of the Vineyards (RS) region with wine tourism. It was found that the subject of rural tourism has become increasingly important due to the need for studies that seek alternatives for sustainable family farming, ensuring the stability of family farmers in the fields and thereby inhibiting the rural exodus. Rural tourism can be an alternative to ensure improved quality of life in the country, generating income and encouraging the development of local products such as handicrafts. Thus, this form of tourism can provide economic, social and environmental gains to people living in these areas and to all those who promote the products and attractions of the region.