O cooperativismo como estratégia para o desenvolvimento da agricultura familiar: um estudo na comunidade rural Colônia Cella de Chapecó/SC

Abstract

Cooperativism in its essence is a solid system that seeks to contribute to the process of economic and social development based on values of cooperation, mutual aid, solidarity, equity and democracy. It is guided by seven principles that lead people to work together so that in the end everyone will be favored. Cooperativism organizes society collectively on behalf of common objectives, an example of this is Family farming, since principles and values are put into practice by families working in the field, the relations between cooperativism and family agriculture arise through cooperative institutions, approaching the precepts and ideals in order to benefit the people who resort to it. In this sense, this work has the main objective to analyze how the cooperativism has contributed strategically to the development. In this sense, this work has the main objective to analyze how the cooperativism has contributed strategically to the development of family farming in the rural community Cella de Chapecó / SC, in the perception of family farmers cooperative members. The research is qualitative approach classified for purposes as descriptive and means, bibliographic, documentary and field. The empirical data were collected through semistructured interviews and participant observation, aiming to understand the perception of 15 associates (as), being, farmers and young people about the contributions of cooperativism for the development of local family farming. It was also documents provided by the Cooperatives; City Hall of Chapecó / SC; Secretary rural development and environment of Chapecó / SC and the rural community Colônia Cella. Data were analyzed using the content analysis technique. The results indicate that cooperativism directly influences the life of family farmers, with their cooperative practices. The principles that support cooperativism maintain the relations between cooperative and associate, in order to favor the development of the members with education, training, information and cooperation between cooperatives and communities. It is noted that cooperatives help in the organization of the community, approaching the family farming of cooperative values. In addition, it is perceived that cooperatives provide security, credibility, trust and technological knowledge that are fundamental to the maintenance and improvement of field activities. For the rural community Colônia Cella, cooperativism acts strategically in family farming, through the Sustainable Development in the economic, social, environmental and cultural dimensions, provided better living conditions, qualification and income to improve field activities and move the local agricultural sector. The cooperatives of the agricultural and credit branches predominate in the community studied, providing rural development. Cooperativism represented an alternative for the organization of farmers and, even today, contributes to local development.