Preferências dos produtores do café agroflorestal quanto ao uso alternativo da terra no Maciço de Baturité-CE

Abstract

Decision making on land use is a challenge in forest areas. In coffee growing, these decisions reflect preferences conditioned by socioeconomic and environmental factors. In Brazil, coffee cultivation predominates in full sun; however, in regions such as Ceará, the shaded agroforestry system stands out. This model integrates agricultural crops and forest species. Understanding the decision-making factors of farmers is crucial to guide sustainable public policies and integrated production strategies. In Maciço de Baturité, coffee cultivation faces problems such as low productivity, low short-term yields, high production costs and limited access to public policies. This has contributed to the migration of coffee producers to activities considered more profitable in the short term (banana growing, horticulture, tourism). The objective of this study is to estimate the preferences of shaded coffee producers regarding the land use of the Maciço de Baturité-Ce. The declared preference approach of Environmental Economic Valuation (VEA) is used to capture the preferences of agroforestry coffee producers for the use of land on their property with the method of Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE). The originality of the study is in investigating the dilemmas of producer choices when considering scenarios involving agroforestry coffee production regarding the use of land on agricultural property, capturing the preferences of producers. The results showed that the cultivation in Agroforestry Systems (SAFs) in the Baturité Massif brings productive and economic benefits, such as access to the market of specialty coffees and income stability with associated crops, such as bananas. The municipalities live the "3rd wave of coffee", combining tradition and modernization. Rural tourism is growing, driven by coffee production, but the greatest interest of producers is in mini-fruit industries. Despite the difficulties in accessing credit and the misalignment with government policies, producers wish to maintain their crop in SAFs, participate in Payment for Environmental Services (PSA) programs and invest in fruit processing. Scenarios with these characteristics are the most valued, while scenarios that excel by conventional cultivation were the least accepted. The results of this study may be useful for the elaboration and implementation of public policies adopted for the development of this activity in Ceará.