Agenda formation and public policy formulation from the perspective of the Income Generation Capacity Study in the Terra Firme Settlement in Uberlândia (MG-Brazil)

Abstract

This experience report addresses the processes of agenda formation and formulation of public policies in the context of the Terra Firme Settlement Project (PA), in Uberlândia-MG-Brazil, from the perspective of the Income Generation Capacity Study (ECGR, 2024). The preparation and updating of the ECGR (2024), requested by the settled families and carried out through a partnership between the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU) and National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA-MG), became a central instrument to highlight the problem situation faced by the community, especially in relation to the economic viability of the settlement and the conditions of access to public policies. The ECGR was a process built in a participatory manner, with direct involvement of the 37 resident families, through discussion groups, plenary sessions, questionnaire application and data analysis. The results highlighted structural challenges in the productive, commercial and infrastructure dimensions, as well as the urgent need for public support policies, such as credit, technical assistance, marketing and basic services. In this sense, the ECGR not only supports administrative decisions, but also strengthens the capacity of local social actors to build public agendas, contributing directly to the formulation of public policies that adhere to the socio-territorial demands of the settlement. This report, therefore, reaffirms the centrality of participatory processes and collective construction of knowledge as a basis for strengthening rights and citizenship in rural areas.