Antônio Márcio Buainain

Agricultura familiar e o novo mundo rural

O trabalho discute as razoes pelas quais se considera ainda necessario no Brasil a implementacao de politicas agricolas e agrarias voltadas para pequenos produtores familiares. Sao criticadas as visoes predominantes, comuns tanto a esquerda quanto a direita, baseadas em falsas analogias com o caso dos paises desenvolvidos, as quais consideram que nao ha mais espaco no pais para politicas do tipo proposto. A importância da producao familiar e enfatizada tambem atraves de uma breve apresentacao dos dados do censo agricola do IBGE. Finalmente, na secao conclusiva do trabalho sao apresentadas algumas propostas de desenvolvimento rural sustentavel baseado na producao familiar.

Dez anos de evolução da agricultura familiar no Brasil: (1996 e 2006)

Este artigo compara os principais resultados do censo agropecuario do IBGE de 1996 com os resultados do censo de 2006, seguindo a metodologia conhecida como “FAO-Incra” que permite caracterizar a agricultura familiar delimitando-a no universo total dos estabelecimentos. Na comparacao destacam‑se algumas variaveis significativas, tais como participacao no valor da producao total (VBP), participacao na area total dos estabelecimentos, utilizacao de tecnologia moderna e produtividade parcial de fatores.Os censos mostram que a participacao na producao agropecuaria se manteve praticamente inalterada, passando de 37,91% em 1996 para 36,11% em 2006, numa decada de forte expansao do setor, o que revela que este segmente faz parte das cadeias produtivas agropecuarias do agronegocio brasileiro. A agricultura familiar e um segmento heterogeneo, com diversos subsegmentos. Nos dez anos de pesquisa percebe‑se que houve forte crescimento da participacao na producao do segmento mais abastado da agricultura familiar (A) e um crescimento numerico dos grupos mais pobres da mesma (C e D), sem o correspondente acrescimo de producao......This article compares the main findings of data fromBrazilian agricultural census in 1996 with the same in 2006 by applying the methodology known as “FAO/Incra”, which allows characterizing family farm in relation to the total universe of farms. In this comparison, several variables are presented, such as the participation of family farming in the total value of production, in the total number of farms, utilization of modern technology and partial factor productivity.Their share of total agricultural production stayed almost equal, with slight reduction, from 37.91% in 1996 to 36,11% during a decade of sharp expansion of agriculture as a whole, demonstrating that this segment is integrated in the productive agricultural chains of the Brazilian agribusiness.Family farming is a heterogeneous segment, with different segments. During the period of ten years, the richestof these segments (A) has increased their participation inthe total production, while the poorest sub segments (C and D) have only grown in absolute terms without a corresponding increase in production.

Family farming in Brazil: evolution between the 1996 and 2006 agricultural censuses

This article compares the main findings of Brazilian agricultural census data of 1996 with the same of 2006 by applying the methodology known as ‘FAO/INCRA’ (Food Agriculture Organization/Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária) which allows the characterization of family farms in relation to the total universe of farms. In this comparison several variables are shown, including the share of family farming in the total value of production, in the total number of farms, utilization of modern technology and partial factor productivity. Census data shows that family farming has changed from 37.91 percent of total production value to 36.11 percent during a decade of strong expansion of agriculture as a whole, demonstrating the economic relevance of this segment which, besides producing food, is integrated in the most important productive agricultural chains of the Brazilian agribusiness. Family farming is a heterogeneous segment, with different sub-segments. During the studied period of ten years the most rich of these sub-segments (A) has increased participation in total production, while the poorer sub-segments (C and D) have only grown in absolute terms without a corresponding increase in production.

BIOTECNOLOGIA E AGRICULTURA da ciência e tecnologia aos impactos da inovação

The paper show the recent agriculture biotechnology evolution, the brazilian situation and does a balance of the economics and socials impacts. The paper call attention to the fact of that technology to be quickly changing from the sciences level to the innovation one, with significant impacts in the national economy.

Social Inclusion in Rural Brazil under Lula

Historically, the rural population, rural areas and agriculture in general have been neglected economically, socially and politically in Brazil. As a consequence, the development gap between rural and urban territories widened throughout most of the twentieth century. Until quite recently, the massive concentration of poverty and extreme poverty in rural areas has been a key feature of Brazilian ‘urban industrial’ society. The Brazilian countryside is still stigmatized by certain features, such as highly skewed income and land tenure distribution; massive exploitation of an unprotected workforce, including children and ‘modern’ forms of slave labor; and landless workers struggling to survive amid the wide expansion of idle land held by private ownership. However, this picture is rapidly changing.

Os contratos de arrendamento e parceria no Brasil

This article uses the existing dialogue between Law and the Economy to analyze leasing and sharecropping contracts in Brazil. It is a fact that national legislation creates obstacles to establishing these contracts, especially those that involve small, poor producers. A look at the history of the process of creating the Statute of the Soil helps understand the context that gave rise to the specific legal apparatus for agrarian contracts. Furthermore, it presents the main characteristics of these contracts, for example, deadlines, payment methods, preference rights and compensation for improvements. It is noticed that the enforcement of leasing and sharecropping contracts arises in the midst of strict and contradictory interests. The clauses in the contracts do not always benefit the economically more fragile party. It is concluded that more intensive use of agrarian contracts depends on legislative changes that attend the socio-economic conditions of leasers and sharecroppers, above all, the small producers.

Innovation, Networks and the Paradigm of Biofuels

The production of renewable liquid biofuels has become a reality in a number of countries around the world, some of which focus on bioethanol, others on biodiesel. The motivation behind this text lies in the emergent character of technological platforms that arise from these traditional biofuel production platforms. The intensification of scientific collaboration, the greater complexity of areas surrounding collaboration and the elevated scientific content of patents related to biofuel and bioenergy are clearly detected when network methods are applied to knowledge products. The results suggest that it is possible to trace explanatory relationships between the institutional character of knowledge production and the innovations that are being produced in the field of bioenergy, as well as the consolidation of markets of technological inputs/services. The interrelationship between the traditional and innovative sectors clearly manifests in the dominance of the patenting process, determining the patterns of market concentration.

Recent Development Patterns and Challenges of Brazilian Agriculture

The chapter provides a review of the determinants of Brazilian agribusiness development over the last decades. It argues that the presence and competitiveness of Brazilian agribusiness on the international market and overall positive economic performance is mostly the result of broad long-term domestic structural transformations, both at the macroeconomic level and within the sector, in which innovation has played a central role. Further, recent developments have not been free of contradictions. Although productivity gains have operated as a powerful growth driver, new land at frontier zones was brought into cultivation and deforestation has continued. The chapter is organised as follows: Sect. 2 documents the agrarian structure, role and performance of Brazilian agribusiness. Section 3 examines issues related to food security. Section 4 deals with the shifts in institutions and policies from state-driven to state-controlled liberalisation in Brazil. The following sections present empirical evidence on the sources of Brazilian agriculture growth and the role of the Brazilian system of innovation in agriculture. The concluding section outlines the obstacles and challenges for Brazilian agribusiness, including environmental and social relations that have become sensitive issues, whose consequences upon both the agricultural pattern of growth and sector governance cannot be ignored.