Transformação dos sistemas técnicos da agricultura familiar camponesa em Cametá, Pará: a intervenção da Associação Paraense de Apoio as Comunidades Carentes (APACC)

Abstract

This paper evaluates the results of APACC'sperformance in the changes made in the productive systems of lowland and upland, with the encouragement and support that this NGO provides agriculturists with the aim of increasing productivity of farms throughout sustainable practices. It is made from the comparison of production of

agriculturists who participated of the training program of multipliers and non- participating agriculturists of the APACC training program, seeking to identify the

transformations of technical systems of production in the floodplain and uplandenvironments, as they were made by agriculturists and how did the process of change happened. The data collection in the field was made through non-directive exploratory interviews with agriculturists and non-participant observation of production systems. Six agriculturists were interviewed,three of them were multipliers and the other three non-participating neighbors of the training program, following a pre-defined script. The Field observation was made covering the property of each of the agriculturists interviewed, seeking to understand what the proximities and differences relating to crops, diversity of production, the practices of their production processes, as well as the existing technical innovations. It was observed that agroecological practices stimulated by APACC motivated diversification of production bringing a greater diversity of auto-consumption and income. The systems were introduced to pisciculture in the floodplain and the apiculture and horticulture on upland. Agroecological innovations were attempted in cassava production, acai, black pepper and management of shrubbery forests. The innovations did not result in higher productivity of cassava from those who adopted in relation to their neighbors, while the productivity of acai showed greater effects of management practices on the floodplain environment.The pisciculture and apiculture, of theintroduced systems, were those that stood out for income generation. It was found that the amount of area and labor are essential conditions for the adoption of new production systems and the development of agroecological and technological innovations encouraged.