Socioeconomic Situation and Vulnerabilities of poor Family Farmers of the State of Paraná

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the socio-economic and productive conditions of poor family farmers of the state of Paraná, with a view to profiling this social group for a better understanding of their social vulnerabilities. In order to achieve this objective, data from the 2006 IBGE’s Agricultural Census are used, more specifically in the categorization family farmers (Agricultores Familiares - AF) and non-family farmers (Agricultores Não Familiares - ANF) according to the family agriculture Act of 2006, and the separation of the remainder families from those of PRONAF Group B based on the 2006/07 Harvest Plan. The approach to understanding the socio-economic situation of these farmers is that of Amartya Sen’s Theory of Capacities, as operationalized by Frank Ellis’ five types of poor farmers capital/ assets (natural, human, financial, physical and social). Data shows that more than 1/3 of the family farmers of Paraná are poor (36,25%), and that the main social vulnerabilities to hinder their development relate to their restricted farming areas, their low levels of technology and formal education, their advanced age, their poor social organization, their lack of technical assistance and their low agricultural incomes. Our results point to the need for quantitative and qualitative improvements in their assets platform and basic capacities so that they can reduce or even overcome their social vulnerabilities.

The objective of this study is to analyze the socio-economic and productive conditions of poor family farmers of the state of Paraná, with a view to profiling this social group for a better understanding of their social vulnerabilities. In order to achieve this objective, data from the 2006 IBGE’s Agricultural Census are used, more specifically in the categorization family farmers (Agricultores Familiares - AF) and non-family farmers (Agricultores Não Familiares - ANF) according to the family agriculture Act of 2006, and the separation of the remainder families from those of PRONAF Group B based on the 2006/07 Harvest Plan. The approach to understanding the socio-economic situation of these farmers is that of Amartya Sen’s Theory of Capacities, as operationalized by Frank Ellis’ five types of poor farmers capital/ assets (natural, human, financial, physical and social). Data shows that more than 1/3 of the family farmers of Paraná are poor (36,25%), and that the main social vulnerabilities to hinder their development relate to their restricted farming areas, their low levels of technology and formal education, their advanced age, their poor social organization, their lack of technical assistance and their low agricultural incomes. Our results point to the need for quantitative and qualitative improvements in their assets platform and basic capacities so that they can reduce or even overcome their social vulnerabilities.