Assessoria técnica e estratégias de agricultores familiares na perspectiva da transição agroecológica: uma análise a partir do Pólo Rio Capim do Programa Proambiente no Nordeste Paraense

Abstract

The study examines the intervention effect of methodologies conducted by the technical assistance provided by the Proambiente program to different smallholder groups (agroextractivist, agriculturalist, diversified, wage-laborer, and small-rancher) in the program’s Rio Capim site. The study indicates that Use Plans and Community Agreements affect the strategies of every group and reveal their intention of intervening in the agroecosystem, as capacity building of smallholders and extension agents was able to link technical knowledge and smallholders’ traditional knowledge. The study highlights significant contributions of the technical assistance due to the agroecological approach provided by family capacity units, which consist of a venue for empirical and technical formation. In addition, it shows the difficulty in the execution of some labor-demanding agroecological practices. In those cases, several groups adopt productive strategies such as labor contracting, and communitarian strategies such as labor-pooling, labor-exchange, and labor exchange through labor-pooling, as well as kindred and neighborhood strategies. Labor-pooling events are often mentioned as a primary strategy to promote the associative spirit among smallholders and are often used by families studied, being significantly adopted in the implementation of agroecological practices. They are often used collectively, and stimulate mutual learning, dialog and sharing of experiences. On the other hand, the adoption of these new practices do not ensure production, subsistence, or social reproduction, as there is no risk-avoidance mechanism to reduce the impact of eventual losses or frustrations resulting from the higher investment and physical efforts required by agroecological activities. Therefore, traditional practices that provide food security and ensure the survival of the household are preferred despite the fact they might result in lower economic outcomes and little concern with natural resource conservation. They are preferred by different smallholder groups, however, given the risk and uncertainty represented by the Proambiente program. What lacks in the program is greater security in the conditions such as differential commercialization and marketing strategy for agroecological products, and for the payment of environmental services, which has not been activated. Mainly, there is no continuity of financial resources for the provision of technical assistance, what jeopardizes the entire program, as the Communitarian Agreements and Use Plans should be continuously monitored in the face of changes in the biophysical and socioeconomic setting, and therefore require continuous adjustment.