MODERNIZAÇÃO DA AGRICULTURA FAMILIAR E EXCLUSÃO SOCIAL: O DILEMA DAS POLÍTICAS AGRÍCOLAS

The so-called "conservative modernisation process" of Brazilian agriculture led to a large increase in production, but has also resulted in social exclusion and high environmental costs. The creation of the Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA) in 1993 can be seen as a recognition of "family agriculture", but the best way to support its development is still the subject of debate. Modernisation and competitiveness are two topics at the heart of this debate. From an analysis of the distribution by PRONAF of agricultural credits for family farmers from 1996 through 2001, the authors conclude that the internal logic of the program and its implementation already contain the criteria that lead to the exclusion of the poorest family farmers. The practical result is a "new inequitable modernisation process" in Brazil's rural areas, which contributes towards even greater social exclusion and regional differences. The authors next consider a peasant development model, based on intensification of land use rather than of labour and on the autonomy of family agriculture. They find that the early results of the social experiments now in progress justify the hypothesis that original strategies for rural development are possible. These strategies challenge the idea of an inevitable reduction of the agricultural population.