O Trabalho sob influência da dendeicultura em vilas rurais paraenses

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to analyze the working arrangements that take place rural villages where palm oil is produced in the north-east of the Brazilian state of Pará. Palm oil has been cultivated in this region for a number of decades. However, production has only recently been promoted through public subsidies such as the National Program for the Production and use of Biodiesel (PNPB) and the Palm Oil Sustainable Production Program (PSOP). This study was conducted at two different levels: i) the regional level, as an exploratory investigation taking place in 341 rural villages in 21 municipalities in the north- east of Pará; and ii) the local level, a more in-depth investigation involving a case study in Água Azul village, in the municipality of Tomé Açu. The method used consisted of interviews (closed questionnaires, semi-structured and non-directive interviews), as well as direct observations. Main results revealed that in rural villages many other activities take place (such as trade, extraction and public services) as well as agriculture. The residents' relationship with palm oil production affects the number of activities developed in the villages. In villages where a number of residents involved in palm oil production, activities are less diversified, because there is less is time to spend and fewer hands to work on other activities. Farming families who have one or more of their members employed elsewhere cultivate smaller production areas. In farming families where members are involved in to oil palm production, there is an increase in perennial crops cultivation and a decrease in annual crops cultivation because of a lack of workforce. Findings for both the meso-region and the case study coincided with regard to: a reduction in agricultural diversification; effects of employment of family members; on family farming working arrangements; workforce demands; and a dependency on the labor of the older population. As a general conclusion, I observed the existence of a number of tendencies relating to working arrangements which, in certain situations, undermine family farming and in others reinforce it.