Nível de modernização na agricultura familiar do semiárido no Estado do Ceará

Abstract

This work aims to evaluate the level of modernization in Family Agricultural Units (UAFs) and its effects on the average income and occupation of family farmers in semi-arid municipalities in the state of Ceará, in the Northeast region of Brazil. To this end, an index of modernization of these family farms was created, using the technique of factorial analysis of principal components. For the level of modernization, three situations were defined (“High”, “Medium” and “Low”). The 175 municipalities located in the semi-arid region and the eight climatic macro-regions of Ceará were evaluated. According to the variables used in the study, and from the statistical technique applied, the results showed that the municipalities of the semi-arid region of Ceará presented a balanced distribution regarding the level of modernization in the UAFs, which did not happen with the state's macro-regions, or that is, among the municipalities that make up these macro-regions, this balance does not occur. In these municipalities, the predominant modernization index was the “Medium” modernization level. The average income, on the other hand, presented a directly proportional relationship to the level of modernization in the UAFs. Regarding the allocation of family labor (occupation), it was observed that the increase in the level of modernization did not cause its reduction in rural establishments.