National program of fortification for family farming: trajectories and challenges at the Ribeira Valley, Brazil

Abstract

The agriculture has undergone big changes that weakened the rural areas sustainability, however, the family farming is still keeping proximity with the sustainable development in rural areas. Therefore, rel- evant are scientific studies about public policies promoters of family farming and their respective effects. In this way, this article aims to analyze the influences of National Program of Fortification for Family Farming (PRONAF) from a study realized in the Ribeira Valley municipalities - Rio Branco do Sul and Itaperuçu (Paraná). After a theoretical substantiation about public policies and family farming with a perspective of sustainability, it presents the methodology, which was built from a qualitative approach based on a case study, with semistructure interviews accomplished with agents linked to implementation of PRONAF and the Program beneficiaries. From there it was possible to conclude that PRONAF con- tributed for sustainable rural development by raising incomes, strengthening the productive capacity of family farming and stimulating the local maintenance of agricultural activity on a small scale, although has many limitations related with Program operation.