Adversities imposed by COVID-19 on family farming: case studies in the municipalities of Santa Maria and Sao Joao do Polesine/RS

ABSTRACT

Family farming is present in 70% of Brazilian rural properties. However, despite the representativeness, historically this category is not a priority in the State's actions, assuring to grow and establish itself on the margins of business agriculture, and it is only because of the accentuated rural exodus effect that public policies for maintaining the population in the field are created, such as the National Rural Financing Program, PRONAF. Furthermore, a process of questioning about the health effects caused by the intensive use of pesticides in food production begins, and organic/healthy family agriculture gets visibility and space in the market, especially in open markets. Thus, the present paper ought to check which are the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic in this sector since the commercialization units started to operate in reduced periods and with less public. The paper aims to present the main adversities generated by the Pandemic for family farming, in the municipalities of Santa Maria/RS and Sao Joao do Polesine/RS, as well as the strategies used by the farmers. Therefore, three case studies are presented, which were studied, methodologically, from fieldwork in loco and online questionnaires. The found results are positive and demonstrate that despite the difficulties, farmers adapt themselves inserting new marketing strategies and access to customers.