Semi-arid region and family farming in the municipality of Upanema (RN): an analysis of the Bom Lugar I agrarian reform settlement

Abstract

The referent work aimed to understand the reality of family farming in the Bom Lugar I Agrarian Reform Settlement, analyzing productive activities and their possibilities for progress in overcoming social inequalities in the semi-arid context, in the municipality of Upanema-RN (Brazil) . The research, based on the survey and treatment of qualitative data, uses a semi-structured interview as an instrument. Regarding the data analysis, the elaboration of charts, tables and textual transcripts was used, enabling the construction of reflections and notes based on the information collected in the developed study (YIM, 2010). Even in adverse weather conditions, family farming contributes to keeping rural men and women in the semiarid region, whose production system is corn-bean-cashew-watermelon and is a marked food polyculture. Despite identifying the lack of technical support for family farmers, the production chain present in the space of Bom Lugar I is intended for family consumption. It is understood that family farming has contributed to reducing social inequalities in the context of settlements in the semiarid region based on food production, ensuring the eradication of hunger. However, it is worth highlighting the need to expand the possibilities of implementing social technologies that enable farmers to produce food throughout the year, increasing the quality of life and providing new opportunities for living with the semiarid region.