Limites e possibilidades para a dinamização das atividades econômicas em assentamentos da reforma agrária no Estado de São Paulo

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the key findings of a survey that sought to examine the relationship between local government agencies and agrarian reform communities in the State of Sao Paulo, particularly with regard to the types of support that have been provided by these agencies to the economic activities of settlements. The research was part of the project The agencies and services involved in the implementation of public policies for equity and growth, which was supported by the Instituto de Colonizacao e Reforma Agraria (INCRA/SP), whose activities were carried out throughout 2011. In methodological terms, the research was divided into two stages. In the first stage, it sought to identify the main economic activities, vocations and potential of the influencing areas of the Quilombola communities and settlements in their respective regions and micro-regions. Therefore, a survey was conducted based on secondary data. In the second stage, a qualitative, exploratory, empirical, and multiple case study research was conducted. Local public officials, in charge of the institutional relations with the agrarian reform settlements (and quilombolas communities, in this case, one of the municipalities investigated) were the primary source of data for this analysis that sought to evaluate the strength, types and quality of support (plausible or effective) provided by the municipalities to the economic activities of settlements. The results indicated a set of reasonably heterogeneous components, and frequently, distinct, of particular circumstances. Based on the results some proposals for action plans were indicated, which probably would constitute a standard reference for the formulation and implementation of public policies and actions to improve the economic activities of the settlements. Keywords: Agrarian reform; Public policies; Economic production system; Territorial development.