Family agriculture and public policies

Abstract

This article aims firstly to present public policies directed and applied to segment of the so-called family farming, which over the last few decades has been consolidating itself with the support of specific policies, such as those related to institutional purchases, and of several instruments for its development in order to generate jobs, income distribution and local development. Secondly, it outlines the existing integration between the programs and the network formed by the institutions participating in policy implementation. To this end, three steps were taken: a) a survey of printed and digital publications and documents, followed by the selection and reading of the literature on family farming and public policies for rural areas; b) visits to the official websites, such as the Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA), Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger, among others c) systematization and analysis arising from reflections on the data acquires. The strategic importance of family farming, besides its key social role in mitigating rural exodus and social inequality both in the countryside and cities, should be seen in its ability to generate wealth, not only for the agricultural sector, but for the country’s economy as a whole