Adesão e resistência a práticas de agricultura biológica entre agricultores familiares: reflexões a partir de uma abordagem com grupos focais

Abstract

The rapid growth and the public and political attention to biological agriculture promote relevant reflections from a sociological point of view. The market of biological production, whose principles are based on concerns about economical, environmental and social sustainability, gains legitimacy mainly through consumers who give preference, when shopping for food, to healthy and environmentally friendly conditions and means of production. In addition, home farming, through its own characteristics, takes on board the basic principles of biological agriculture. This article attempts to discuss the first results of an Action Research project about the Bridges between Biological Agriculture and Home Farming. The aim is to, through an exploratory qualitative research, based on documental analysis and the work of 2 focus groups: (i) isolate both the facilitating and obstructing factors of practicing biological agriculture; (ii) understand existing processes of resistance to change by home farmers. In order to recommend future public policies, be it at local, regional or national levels, there must be an understanding of both constraints and facilitators of practicing sustainable agriculture, which point at very distinct representations. Amongst the favourable representations it is possible to highlight the health and environmental benefits, some proximity between traditional agricultural practices by home farmers and the principles and techniques of biological agriculture, technical support and some political will both at local and national levels. However, the small amount of years farmers spent at school and the lack of technical knowledge makes this practice of agriculture focused in shortterm profitability, adding to the difficulties of a small and distant market, the high cost of the products, and the lack of effective product flowing channels.