O RECONHECIMENTO PÚBLICO DOS ATORES COLETIVOS DA AGRICULTURA FAMILIAR NO NORDESTE

Resumo

Os agricultores do Nordeste desenvolveram, nos últimos anos, novas formas de ação coletiva no âmbito de comunidades camponesas e de organizações profissionais. O artigo analisa a origem, os fatores de emergência e o impacto dessas iniciativas locais ou regionais, e suas relações com os movimentos sociais e o Estado. Esses novos atores, ou essas novas práticas, correspondem principalmente a dispositivos coletivos de manejo de recursos naturais (água, pastagens, sementes) e/ou de produção de bens públicos: capacitação, informação, inovação e acesso a mercados específicos. O artigo toma algumas lições dessas experiências.

Termos para indexação: ação coletiva, políticas públicas, organizações, inovação, Nordeste.

PUBLIC RECOGNITION OF COLLECTIVE STAKEHOLDERS
IN NORTHEAST BRAZIL FAMILY FARMING
ABSTRACT

In recent years, peasant communities and family farmers' organisations have developed new forms of collective action among smallholders in North East Brazil. This paper analyses the origins, emergence, and impact of these local and regional initiatives as well as their relations with peasant social movements and with public institutions. These smallholders groups constitute collective systems for the management of natural resources (water, grazing, forest, seeds and bio-diversity) and/or the production of public assets (information, training, access to innovation and to specific markets). In the Northeast, particularly in the State of Paraíba, their experience has mobilised social and professional networks among civil society and led to demands in hybrid forums for public recognition or, better, public support from State institutions. The authors analyse the first lessons from, and the limitations of, these new forms of interaction between peasant collective action and State public action. This movement is related to the decentralisation process underway in Brazil and the first inter-municipal initiatives. There is a risk that civil society might substitute for the State in the performance of its functions; but the public obligations of these collective stakeholders also ensure locally adapted responses to the complexity and specificity of public policies. The new government has staked its programs on civil society participation. But we can already observe some tensions between the government, social movements and local politicians. In a political system with elections every two years, it is difficult to maintain participatory processes that require longer periods for concrete results.

Index terms: collective action, public policies, organisations, innovation, Northeast.

RECONNAISSANCE PUBLIQUE DES ACTEURS COLLECTIFS
DE L'AGRICULTURE FAMILIALE AU NORDESTE
RÉSUMÉ

Des agriculteurs du Nordeste du Brésil ont développé ces dernières années de nouvelles formes d'action collective au niveau des communautés paysannes et des organisations professionnelles agricoles. L'article analyse l'origine, les facteurs d'émergence et l'impact de ces initiatives locales ou régionales ainsi que leurs relations avec les mouvements sociaux et avec l'Etat. Ces nouveaux acteurs, ou ces nouvelles pratiques correspondent principalement à des dispositifs collectifs de gestion de ressources naturelles (eau, pâturages, semences) et/ou de production de biens publics: formation, information, innovation, accès à des marchés spécifiques. L'article tire quelques leçons de ces expériences.

Termes d'indexation: action collective, politiques publiques, organisations, innovation, Nordeste.