Avaliação dos impactos do programa de aquisição de alimentos (PAA) no estado do Ceará: O caso do mel

Abstract

The Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos (PAA) (Food Acquisition Program) was created in 2003 with the aim to encourage family agriculture, involving actions that facilitate the distribution of food produced by family agriculturists to people, which are in a situation of food insecurity. Just like any ither program, there is a need to asess whether public resources are invested effectively providung positive outcomes for their beneficiaries. Honey is configured as one of the mais products received by the PAA because their nutritional importance. The technological level adopted by beekeepers can influence the aspects of productivity and production. In this sense, this work sought to analyze the main socioeconomic determinants of technological level of these beekeepers, as well as evaluating the impacts of PAA in Ceará on productivity, employment and income generation and social capital. The data used in this study were obtained with the application of questionnaires to beekeepers beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of PAA. Regardiing the methodological producers, the technique of factor analysis was adopted to measure the technological and social capital level. To analyze the main socioeconomic determinants of technological level of beekeepers, we opted for the logistic regression model. The procedure Propensity Score Matching (PSM) was used to assess the impacts of the program on its beneficiaries. Among the main results, we can highlight that the age reduces the chance of beekeepers achieve better technological levels. Also, schooling, have received training before starting the acitivity, after starting beekeeping, have beekeeping as main acitivity, amount of labor in the management, use skilled labro, increased rates of solcial capital increase the chances the beekeeper have better technological level in the activity. With regard to the impact of PAA, we observe positive impacts on procuctivity, income and level of social capital of beekeepers. Therefore, we can conclude that the technological level of beekeepers is primarily determined by characteristics of beekeepres in beekeeping and elderly beekeepers are more rigid in relation to technological change, while the more educated adopted more appropriate technological practices. Regarding the impacts of the PAA, it can concluded that the PAA is configured as an effective instrument for stimulating the production of honey and income generation, becausse it offers the best price. Moreover, the program operates as an important way to combat hunger, misery and also, as a relevant strategy for the process of accumulation of capital among its beneficiaries.