SAFA FAO as an assessment tool for family farming under the sustainability bias

Abstract

The use of Rapid Assessment Protocols can characterise environmental problems such as the degradation of river sources, help understand the socio-environmental scenario of rural communities, and contribute to a more in-depth characterisation of the context and the elaboration of public policies for its solution. This work aims to evaluate the sustainability index (SI) of rural properties using the SAFA tool. Indicators were selected that can contribute to identifying the advantages and limitations of rural properties inserted in a stream micro-basin in Brazil (Barra Grande, Canoinhas, Santa Catarina State). The community generally has a good SI, mainly due to economic resilience and social well- being dimensions, with lowest scores in environmental integrity and good governance. On the other hand, themes that should receive attention to increase the SI of the families are related to the increase of biodiversity in the properties, with an emphasis on forest coverage.

Keywords

• sustainability analysis
• environmental indicators
• watershed committees
• rural livelihoods