Agrarian reform in the Brazilian Midwest: Difficulties of modernization via conventional or organic production systems

Abstract

Small farmers’ adoption of a production system that allows good insertion and competitiveness in the market has always been a challenge. The conventional system, linked to the green revolution, is influenced by scale and financial capacity and is responsible for many environmental problems. To resolve these issues, the Brazilian government has implemented several policies to encourage organic agriculture, many focused on land reform settlements. Despite these incentives, many settlers continue to exhibit low incomes and productivity. In this light, the objective of this study is to identify the production systems used in the settlements of the Midwest region of Brazil and to verify whether these systems are based on organic technologies and whether there is a relationship between the adoption of these systems and the location of the settlements. Policies best suited to the success of agrarian reform, according to adopted production system, are also assessed. A total of 1162 questionnaires were administered in 54 settlements. Four types of production systems were identified: conventional, organic, organic with low technology, and basic. The basic system (without the use of technologies such as chemical and/or organic inputs, crop rotation, improved seeds, and mechanization) is the most common, regardless of the region. Technified systems (conventional and organic) are mostly used in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, where large-scale conventional agriculture predominates. The results also reinforce the need for development policies adapted to the producers. Social assistance can be better adapted for settlers with low-tech systems, while efficient technical assistance as well as production and marketing support policies are of great importance for producers with conventional and organic systems.