A Multi-Methodological Analysis of Jabuticaba’s Supply Chain in an Agricultural Cooperative Production

Background: In the late 1990s, the idea of fighting drought gave way to the concept of how to live with drought in the Brazilian semi-arid region. From this perspective, the Brazilian Federal Government’s investment in social technology and education encouraged local agricultural production and subsistence agriculture began to have a surplus for commercialization and income generation. However, there are still difficulties in the development of the productive chain, as perceived in Alagoas, Brazil, with the jabuticaba fruit and its derivatives. In this locus, problems related to the creation of value and distributions of the product were identified. Methods: This study proposed a participant observation in a rural producers’ association and a multimethodological approach based on VFT (Value-Focused Thinking) and SWOT analysis aiming to structure the problem, identify communities’ objectives and develop alternatives to solve these problems so that they can get more out of their production. Results: showed that the product has marketing potential due to its differential, but the producers are limited in the process of distributing the goods. Conclusions: So, this study was able to analyze the problems of this productive system in a structured way, generating suggestions for actions to achieve the strategic objectives of the cooperative.

A influência do curso profissionalizante da ead na atuação do técnico apicultor na microrregião de são raimundo nonato/pi para a construção de conhecimentos e tecnologias

Nesse estudo, analisa-se a influência da formação técnica na atuação do técnico apicultor para a construção de conhecimentos e tecnologias nas comunidades rurais pesquisadas. Este trabalho é o recorte de pesquisa mais ampla, em desenvolvimento no âmbito do Doutorado Interinstitucional (DINTER PPGTE/UTFPR-UFPI) do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Tecnologia e Sociedade, da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná e da Universidade Federal do Piauí, intitulada de “CORRELAÇÕES ENTRE O TRABALHO DOS TÉCNICOS EM APICULTURA E AS COMUNIDADES RURAIS PESQUISADAS DA MICRORREGIÃO DE SÃO RAIMUNDO NONATO: (CO)CONSTRUÇÃO DE TECNOLOGIAS”. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, descritiva e exploratória, tendo recorte temporal 2014-2016. A pesquisa adota a perspectiva teórico-metodológica do materialismo histórico dialético e está apoiada em análise documental e bibliográfica, entrevistas com egressos e visitas de campo às comunidades pesquisadas em que se realizaram observação direta, registros fotográficos e entrevistas narrativas. Apresenta-se neste texto, dadas as limitações de espaço, somente o cenário da pesquisa no município de Dom Inocêncio/PI, por ser um dos maiores municípios pesquisados do sudeste do Piauí e um dos locais em que os técnicos apicultores efetivamente trabalham em suas próprias comunidades. Analisou-se os dados produzidos fundamentado pela técnica de análise de conteúdo, proposta por Bardin (2016). Organizou-se a produção de dados no eixo temático intitulado de: “Conexões entre tecnologia, tecnologia social e coconstrução de tecnologias”. Neste sentido, constata-se construções de tecnologias sociais devido à assessoria técnica prestada na comunidade rural Vazante, em Dom Inocêncio/PI, como também um aumento significativo na produção de mel na região e a valorização de seus derivados. Essa interação, implica um retorno não somente na economia local, mas também nos processos de ensino e de aprendizado, pois as correlações efetivadas entre egressos e produtores das comunidades, possibilitam que os outros produtores rurais sejam multiplicadores desse conhecimento técnico e científico e que incorporado com os seus saberes experenciais possam ser fortes potencializadores para uma transformação individual e coletiva. In this study, the influence of technical training on the performance of the beekeeper technician for the construction of knowledge and technologies in the surveyed rural communities is analyzed. This work is part of the broader research, under development within the scope of the Interinstitutional Doctorate (DINTER PPGTE/UTFPR-UFPI) of the Postgraduate Program in Technology and Society, at the Federal Technological University of Paraná and at the Federal University of Piauí, entitled of “CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE WORK OF BEEKEEPING TECHNICIANS AND THE SURVEYED RURAL COMMUNITIES IN THE MICROREGION OF SÃO RAIMUNDO NONATO: (CO)CONSTRUCTION OF TECHNOLOGIES”. This is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research, with a 2014-2016 time frame. The research adopts the theoretical-methodological perspective of dialectical historical materialism and is supported by documental and bibliographical analysis, interviews with egresses and field visits to the researched communities in which direct observation, photographic records and narrative interviews were carried out. In this text, given space limitations, only the research scenario in the municipality of Dom Inocêncio/PI is presented, as it is one of the largest municipalities surveyed in the southeast of Piauí and one of the places where beekeeper technicians effectively work in their own communities. The data produced was analyzed based on the content analysis technique proposed by Bardin (2016).The production of data was organized in the thematic axis entitled: “Connections between technology, social technology and technology co-construction”. In this sense, there is construction of social technologies due to the technical assistance provided in the rural community Vazante, in Dom Inocêncio/PI, as well as a significant increase in the production of honey in the region and the valorization of its derivatives. This interaction implies a return not only in the local economy, but also in the teaching and learning processes, as the correlations effected between graduates and producers in the communities, allow other rural producers to be multipliers of this technical and scientific knowledge, which is incorporated with their experiential knowledge can be strong potential for individual and collective transformation.

Integrated Assessment of Drought Impacts on Rural Areas: The Case of the Chapada Diamantina Region in Brazil

Drought is one of the most significant hazards that farmers face in rural areas. This study aims to examine an integrated assessment of the drought impacts in rural territories, considering the social perceptions related to the effects of natural hazards on health, social relations, income, and other impacts. The study area is located in the rural area of the Chapada Diamantina region in Northern Brazil. The characterization of the region was carried out based on historical meteorological and agricultural productivity data. The method used in this study was based on a survey of social perceptions regarding drought impacts by small rural producers through a participatory process. The results indicated how extreme events such as drought influence rural areas. In addition to agricultural productivity (~50%), aspects such as social migration and health problems were observed.

Brazilian farmer confidence in business performance

The aim of this article is to understand how rural producers in Brazil generate their investment expectations in terms of their costs, productivity, and other macroeconomic variables related to agricultural production. This study contributes to the formulation of more efficient public policies that take into account not only market information, but also the expectations of farmers. Based on data from a survey that calculates the rural producer confidence index in Brazil, non-parametric tests were performed to assess the equality of responses attributed by them in different periods, configured as crop development and harvest start, during 2014 and 2017. The results indicate that the farmer’s behavior is sensitive to changes in the market and his business. Productivity is seen as a long-term expectation. The cost of production and the sale price have generated short and medium-term expectations.

Registration of Off-Road Practices as Intangible Heritage and Implementation of the Off-Road Ecomuseum in Nova Lima, Minas Gerais

The project for Registration of off-road practices as intangible heritage and implementation of the Off-Road Ecomuseum in Nova Lima is a popular initiative that seeks to safeguard tradition and the benefits generated by off-road practices on the city's trails. This is a pioneer initiative in the country and has a multidisciplinary character, as it involves three major areas: sport, culture and tourism. From the first indigenous occupations in Minas Gerais, through pioneers, pathfinders, drovers, rural producers who transported their items for sale and to local markets to the present day, the trails of Nova Lima are traveled by sportsmen and tourists. Thus, the aim is to use the trails from their conception as places of memory Keywords: Ecomuseum, culture, tourism, ecotourism, territory.

DISPARITY OF PRICES IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY

Agriculture is the city-forming branch of the agro-industrial complex, the share of which in recent years in the gross domestic product annually amounts to about 5%. Despite the positive dynamics of the development of the last decade, quite a lot of unresolved problems have accumulated in the agricultural complex. One of them is the disparity of prices, which consists in a faster growth of price indices for industrial goods and services used in agricultural production in comparison with the growth of price indices for agricultural raw materials and products. This hinders the development of agricultural production in solving the problem of ensuring food security and import substitution, has an impact on the level of profitability and competitiveness of rural producers. The conducted research made it possible to establish price imbalances between the economic entities of the agro-industrial complex and the need to improve the pricing system based on taking into account the real contribution of all participants.

Research of problems of technical operation of agricultural machines

Tracking devices are increasingly used in automatic control systems for mobile agricultural machines. Many elements are regulated by standards and specifications, and it is of scientific and practical interest to establish a correspondence between the reliability of restored parts and connections with the reliability of machines. This is due to many reasons, one of which is a decrease in the technical potential of the village: the composition of the machine and tractor fleet is decreasing, the physical and moral wear of equipment is progressing. Repair and maintenance of cars due to the price arbitrariness of intermediary structures, mainly on the part of collective farms and farms. For this reason, the reliability and reliability of the machine park of rural producers remain low, negatively affects the agrotechnical timing of mechanized work, their cost. In accordance with the standard technology, standards of labor costs for the repair of machines, standards for the consumption of materials needed for repair, and standards for the consumption of spare parts were created. The economic feasibility of restoring parts is usually assessed by comparing the cost of a new part and the cost of repairing a worn one.

Conservation conditions of chainsaws and electric chainsaws and safety of the farmers who operate these machines

The increasing use of chainsaws in rural areas has demanded the health of rural producers who operate these machines. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the conservation conditions of chainsaws with a 2-stroke Otto Cycle engine and check if they meet NR12 Annex V, as well as confirm whether users meet NR31 in terms of training for use. With the aid of a questionnaire and visits to farms, 103 chainsaws were verified in six municipalities in the central region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. After organizing the data in an electronic spreadsheet, descriptive statistics and canonical correlation were performed. The questions were divided into four groups, namely: operational, mandatory machine safety equipment, cutting set, and engine. The conservation condition of the machines was seen as worrisome. This is because it was found that 66.01% of machines did not have a saber guard and 49.51% of these were worn out. In addition, 97.08% of the producers did not take a chainsaw operation course, and 85.44% reported not using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), therefore, in disagreement with the NR6, NR12 Annex V, and NR31 standards. It was clear the need for the operators to carry out training on the safe use and handling of chainsaws.

Bovine milk production in Campeche: prospects and challenges for rural producers' development

Objective: To characterize at the municipal level the productivity of the bovine-milk sector in the state of Campeche, Mexico; to determine the profitability of the sector and to propose improvement schemes in order to add value to the commercialization of the product. Design/Methodology/Approach: From the Agricultural and Fisheries Information System, the following variables were obtained: Production (thousands of L), Price ($ L-1) and Value of Production (thousands of $) from 2006 to 2018. Through multivariate statistics and analyses, the profitability of the bovine-milk sector from 2013-2018 compared to 2007-2012 was determined. The analyses were completed by an interview with 12 milk producers who gave added value through the manufacture of cheeses. Results: A drop in profitability (-8.8%) was found in the sector from 2013-2018 compared to 2007-2012, despite the increase in production of 6.2% that did not compensate for the fall in prices (-14.2%). The regions with the highest productivity were located from the center to the south of the state: Champotón (24.62%), Escárcega (17.36%), and Campeche (16.63%). Study Limitations/Implications: Adding value to the milk commodity is a priority need in the short term, to avoid abandoning the activity, which could compromise the economy of rural producers. Findings/Conclusions: The Mennonite settlements in Campeche have managed to add value to the bovine-milk sector through the manufacture and sale of artisan cheeses. However, the great challenge of the sector is the revaluation of artisan cheeses with market strategies that encourage the consumption of local resources in a context of globalization.