Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos (PAA): efeitos sobre produtores de mel do Ceará

Abstract

The PAA was created with the goal of pro- moting the production and commercialization of food produced by family farmers and similar rural segments, being later distributed among individuals under a situa- tion of food insecurity. Thus, it’s necessary to assess if the public resources invested in the PAA are effectively providing positive results for its beneficiaries. Honey is one of the main products received by the program in Ceará, because of its nutritional importance. In this sense, the present paper aimed at assessing the effects of the PAA in the State of Ceará on economic aspects of the honey producers beneficiaries of this program, by means of the technique Propensity Score Matching. The data came from primary sources, collected directly from the honey producers who participated or did not participate in the PAA in 2011. The results indicate that the PAA was capable of generating positive impact on the honey production, the total of populated beehives and the income of the honey producers. Thus, beyond the relevant role to alleviate the problem of food inse- curity, we conclude that the guarantees offered in the food acquisition allow the PAA to act as an important mechanism for rural development in Ceará.