FACTORS THAT INDUCE THE RECOVERY OF DEGRADED PASTURES BY FARMERS OF THE RIO DAS CONTAS HYDROGRAPHIC BASIN

Abstract

The intensification of agricultural production in the future must necessarily happen on a sustainable basis. Thus, the present study aimed to analyze the role of education and climate perception for the pro-environmental behavior of farmers with a focus on the recovery of degraded pastures. The willingness to adopt agricultural techniques that mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was considered as a factor of pro-environmental behavior. For the analysis, a case study was carried out with farmers whose properties are located in the river basin of Rio das Contas, Bahia. Methodologically, the work was divided into three main stages: data collection; exploratory analysis of responses regarding the willingness to adopt sustainable production techniques, a proxy used to represent pro-environmental behavior; and the analysis of a probability model (Probit). The main factors responsible for this perception of climate change identified in the study were access to formal education and technical assistance. The research showed that these two variables can promote the recovery of degraded areas, as they are able to assist in decision making in the face of climate change scenarios. It was concluded that technical assistance and schooling make farmers more willing to undertake more sustainable agricultural techniques.