Política pública para a agricultura familiar: avaliação do programa paranaense “Fábrica do Agricultor”

Abstract

Starting in the 1990s, with the legitimation of the State of family farming as a social category in rural areas, through public policies for the sector, many governmental programs have emerged to strengthen this rural development model. In the state of Paraná, in 1999, the the family farming program “Farmer's Factory” (Fábrica do Agricultor - PFA) was created with the objective of adding value to products from family farms through the vertical integration of the production of small agroindustrialization businesses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the family farming program “Farmer's Factory” (Fábrica do Agricultor - PFA). The research was conducted utilizing a descriptive approach to its goals, using techniques of bibliographical research, documentary research and surveys, which were done through structured interviews. First, the understanding of the Brazilian agrarian issue was sought, from the standpoint of small-scale family farms. Further, family farming, as well as the main strategies of social reproduction of farmers and the main theoretical and methodological aspects of public policy, were all defined through literature review. Subsequently, a bibliographical review and analysis were performed in order to achieve greater knowledge of the program (PFA), subsidizing the development of instruments for data collection. Interviews were conducted with a sample of 53 (fifty three) agribusinesses which consist the primary beneficiary target of the program, in addition to policy-makers and participating entities. In the analytical phase of the study the results from the implementation of the program (PFA) were identified, and compared with the goals of the program. The policy presented differentiated results among the proposed objectives, being extremely successful in the goals of technological innovation, market focus and support for the family farming industry. The study revealed the importance of family farming in the state of Paraná and the significant contribution of policies that strengthen this family agriculture, specifically the actions of the program (PFA) which promotes the vertical integration of production processes through the agroindustrialization of small businesses as well as their access to consumer markets, generating employment, income, enabling agricultural households to remain in rural areas.