Os meios e as condições de vida dos agricultores familiares produtores de tabaco frente à convenção quadro para o controle do tabaco – um estudo no município de Laranjeiras do Sul/PR

Abstract

This study aims to characterize and discuss the means and the conditions of life of family farmers tobacco producers in Laranjeiras do Sul/PR, considering the scenario of the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC). Therefore, knowing the family farmers way survive in the countryside, becomes important, especially to guide diversification actions or policies that contribute to rural development. The research is based on the capabilities approach of Amartya Sen and the livelihoods perspective of Frank Ellis. The hypothesis that supported this study consider, on the one hand, the living conditions of farmers tobacco producers are influenced by diversifying livelihoods, on the other hand, the tobacco contributes to enlarge the financial capital of the families, what do not necessarily if reverts in better living conditions. Thus, two questionnaires were applied to forty tobacco producing families in the municipality. The first survey the livelihoods of families, what they have to survive. The second questionnaire captured the living conditions of these families, aiming to capture the perceptions of the same about these conditions. The survey also included an interview script with open questions regarding the opinions and desires of farmers on the production of tobacco. In addition, a typology was created about the livelihoods diversification degree. In this way, it was possible to observe and analyze the living conditions of the diversified, less diversified and specialized families. With respect to results, we can say that the hypothesis initially was confirmed: the diversified families have better livelihoods and living conditions in relation to the other. The other hypothesis regarding to tobacco contribution to the expansion of financial capital for households, was confirmed in part, because we observed that income tobacco is not properly reflected in the financial capital, being the major effects that the itself capital. We can be inferred, therefore, that tobacco guarantees entitlements/means for producing families, but not necessarily guarantee the capability to function in rural areas. This capability is subject to tobacco growing, i.e., families can only accomplishments if they continue to produce it. It was also that producers do not have the freedom to achieve goods and resources as they wish, because even they providing capital, these are resulted by tobacco production, i.e., there is a lack of freedom of choice for families, all your actions are dependent on tobacco. We observed on the fieldwork that still have stocks that offer families the necessary conditions to ensure that these cease to produce tobacco and/or diversify its properties to produce other crops, especially those who are minded to it. This situation became clear during the interviews: most respondents reported that they would no longer produce tobacco if it were possible to produce another crop so profitable as the current.