Diversificação como alternativa para o desenvolvimento da agropecuária familiar sul-mineira

Abstract

The objective of this research was to identify and to describe as family farmers' leaderships (FFL), agricultural technicians who advise them (TEC) and local governments' representatives (LGR) evaluate the diversification as possible alternative to the development of the family farming in the southern Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The study is an interpretative approach, which was undertaken in fourteen municipal districts. It was used the focused-interview method to collect data. The judgment sampling technique was employed to chose interviewees; eleven FFL, thirteen TEC and twelve LGR were interviewed. The three categories of interviewees tend to see the diversification as a favorable development means while its represents for family farmers an income alternative and to reduce economical risks. The main orientation objects that guided the actors' perceptions to consider the diversification as favorable means were as following: a) the natural resources (soil, climate and water); b) infra-structural factors, as market conditions and commercialization; c) factors related to the intrinsic-subjective and economical values, as the production destined to the family self-consumption, risk decreased related to a single activity and the complementation of the family income. Few numbers of interviewees attributed to the diversification the character of limiting factors. They justified their point of view considering the possibility of productive inefficiency when farmers develop different economic activities. It is noticed that the agricultural diversification is more used in the study area, and its main activities involves horticulture. The rural diversification was less mentioned. It was observed that not always what producers considered to be better for themselves was seen in the same way by the technicians and the local government's representatives. These distinct visions may be explained by social haracteristics that differentiate an actor from another, such as different experiences, values and background. These social factors may also conduct actors to have different interpretation and situational orientation.