Electricity and Family Farmers in Brazil’s Semi-Arid Region: Perceptions and Vulnerabilities

Abstract

This paper seeks to raise questions and analyze aspects of the remaining energy poverty as it relates to the vulnerability of family farmers in the semi-arid region of Brazil, such as; what are the remaining energy needs of family farmers in the region? What are their perceptions concerning energy access and affordability? What are possible options for sustainable energy technology deployment in the region? Four case studies carried out in 2011 and 2012 will be presented. The focus on family farming is important because this sector is highly sensitive to climate stimuli, has low capacity to deal with and prevent impacts of climate variability and is an important source of food production in Brazil. The results show that irrigation is used only in a small minority of the rural properties while #80 percent of the sample relies solely on rain-fed agriculture, leaving them highly vulnerable to variable precipitation. Energy access is cited as a difficulty in their production activities in varying extents: 9 percent in Piaui and 4-5 percent in the other three cases. Within the sub-population that used electricity for irrigation, there was a wide variety of perceptions on the affordability of the energy. For example, in Bahia one-third cited energy to be expensive, while in Rio Grande do Norte about 80 percent considered that the cost is low or moderate.