Changes in Family Production Systems upon the Implementation of Palm Oil in Eastern Amazon

Abstract

In this article, we analyze the changes in family production systems throughout their productive paths, emphasizing the changes occurred due to the implementation of palm oil in these systems in Eastern Amazon. The survey was conducted in Northeastern Pará (main oil palm expansion area), where 162 questionnaires were applied to family farmers integrated into palm agribusinesses and also a retrospective analysis was held in 10 farms. As main results, five types of production systems combining palm culture with other activities, such as annual crops cultivation, agroforestry systems (SAF), black pepper and cattle, were identified. In the trajectory analysis, typology revealed three trajectory groups: 1) the trajectory of annual crops with a tendency to specialization in oil palm cultivation; 2) the trajectory of perennial (highlighting black pepper and fruit in SAF) and palm, and; 3) the trajectory of livestock and oil palm. What differentiates the trajectories are the strategies developed by each family to ensure their social reproduction through agriculture. It was concluded that the implementation of palm culture caused changes in the structure, organization and course of production systems, but the changes are not only practical, but also symbolic, because the system integration represents " modernity " to family farmers, by having all the financial and technological apparatus that traditional cultures in the region, such as cassava, do not. So for farmers this is the main alternative for development.

Keywords

• trajetórias produtivas
• agricultura familiar
• dendeicultura
• amazônia