PRONAF: uma análise a partir do desenvolvimento rural sustentável e da agroecologia no território da cidadania Cantuquiriguaçu/PR

Abstract

Family farming has been recognized and gaining notoriety in the world for its plurality, cultural and productive diversity, generation of work and income. Despite its importance, the implementation of state interventions for this sector is recent, beginning in the 1990s, with the emergence of the National Program for the Strengthening of Family Farming - Pronaf, in 1995. The Program was created with the objective of granting rural credit and thereby promote the rural development of family farming. Since its inception, Pronaf has undergone several changes and around this public policy there are questions about the real effects on family farming. Among the positive effects are the recognition of the family farmer category, the existence of an instrument for increased production, expansion of planted areas, increased mechanization and modernization of the production system. On the other hand, the negative effects point to incentive to monoculture, reduction of diversity in productive systems, reduction of subsistence activities in favor of mercantile activities, promotion of specialization of farmers, possibility of causing indebtedness. In this context, the present study starts from the understanding that Agroecology is presented as an alternative for family farming and it remains even without Pronaf support. Thus, the research sought to verify how the access to credit for agroecological production has been taking place in the Pronaf Agroecology line, as well as to understand the limitations and potentialities generated by this public policy in the Cantuquiriguaçu Citizenship Territory. For this we used the bibliographic research and the analysis of secondary data available in the rural credit statistical yearbook and the Rural credit data matrix. In addition, interviews were also conducted with family farmers in 31 agroecology-certified production units and in transition to identify the relationship of those surveyed with Pronaf. From the secondary data of Pronaf Agroecology, it was observed that in the region of the Cantuquiriguaçu Citizenship Territory access is nonexistent. In the analysis of primary data, it was observed, among the respondents, that the greater the insertion in agroecology, the farther from access to Pronaf. In this sense, it was evidenced that in the process of transition to agroecology the need for rural credit is more evident, but along the development of agroecology, family farmers are gradually gaining autonomy, achieving sustainable rural development. It was observed that social movements and state action play an important role and can outline the profile of family farming. These findings point to an extensive path to be taken in improving Pronaf in order to achieve a public policy that is closer to the reality of family farmers, since the existence of Pronaf, or the Pronaf Agroecology line, does not in itself guarantee that family farmers have access to credit and can develop.