Avaliação das tecnologias sociais do Programa Cisternas na produção de alimentos das famílias beneficiadas do município de Tauá – CE

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on the Cistern Program, particularly its elements concerning social technologies for water access in the context oft food production among low-income rural communities. These technologies encompass not only the construction of cisterns for water storage, but also training activities, community mobilization, beneficiary selection and registration, and the implementation of productive uses at the sites where the technology is installed. The main objective is to assess the program, examining its impact on enhancing the food and economic security of beneficiary families in the municipality of Tauá, Ceará. The specific objectives are: to investigate the content of the policy, understand the foundations and concepts governing the program in its formulation context, and assess how the program aims to improve food security and the economic situation of beneficiary families; to evaluate the coherence and implementation process of the program via institutional channels, considering each stage it has undergone, particularly the breakdown of government policies for family farming; and to understand how the perspectives among all the involved parties influence, either directly or indirectly, the implementation of productive backyards as part of the cistern based social technology for food production — whether as policy makers, managers, implementers, beneficiaries, or indirectly involved actors — considering both regulation and the actual implementation of actions. The theoretical framework relies on the establishment of concepts and characteristics related to family farming, social technologies, and alternative development models, which serve as the main references for understanding the foundations of the examined public policy. The adopted theoretical-methodological approach was in-depth evaluation, taking into account its evaluative dimensions: context analysis, content analysis, institutional trajectory, and spatiotemporal spectrum. This is a qualitative study, in which the proposed objectives were pursued through bibliographic and documentary research, interviews with key actors involved in the program’s implementation, and fieldwork using participant observation techniques. The research has pointed out that the Cistern Program challenges traditional paradigms of rural development, as it does not rely on large-scale infrastructure or imported solutions. What makes it unique is the fact of being a social technology applied anchored in principles of community participation, respect for the territory, and appropriation by the families themselves. This positions the program as a trustworthy alternative to exclusionary and concentrated concepts, marked by agribusiness and exploitative extraction 10 practices. Nonetheless, the study also identified challenging issues that require attention. Institutional discontinuity, constrained financial resources, and reduced technical assistance have undermined the medium- and long-term sustainability of its actions. Additionally, support for marketing surplus production remains incipient, which limits its income-generation potential. Such limitations highlight the need for more comprehensive complementary policies and enhanced intersectoral coordination.