O extrativismo da carnaúba na economia camponesa: trabalho, renda e relações de gênero no assentamento Vida Nova/Aragão, em Miraíma – CE

Abstract

This study analyzes carnauba palm extractivism in the Vida Nova/Aragão Settlement, located in the municipality of Miraíma, Ceará, within the context of the Brazilian semi-arid region, seeking to understand its impacts on the peasant economy as well as on the social and gender dynamics of settled families. Carnauba palm extractivism is understood as a historically relevant productive strategy, especially during periods of drought, when other productive activities face greater limitations due to climatic conditions. The main objective of the research was to understand the extent to which carnauba extractivism contributes to the composition of family income, considering the organization of labor, the division of tasks between men and women, and women’s participation in the domestic economy. The research has an exploratory character and adopted a mixed methodological approach, combining qualitative and quantitative procedures. Data collection was carried out through field immersion stages in the settlement, the application of a semi-structured questionnaire to families involved in extractivism, field diary records, and the conduction of a focus group with women artisans who work in the processing of carnauba palm leaves and in handicraft production. The data were systematized and analyzed in an integrated manner, articulating the empirical results with the theoretical framework on family farming, extractivism, and gender relations in rural areas.The results indicate that carnauba palm extractivism, although rarely perceived as the main source of family income, plays a strategic role in the family economy, especially during the dry season, functioning as an important complementary source of income. A well-defined sexual division of labor was observed, in which men are mainly concentrated in the heavier and external stages of the activity, while women are engaged in leaf processing, scraping, and handicraft production. Despite their direct contribution to income generation, women’s work remains undervalued, often perceived as complementary, and faces limitations related to marketing and dependence on middlemen.It is concluded that the impacts of carnauba palm extractivism on the economy of settled families go beyond the strictly economic dimension, involving gender relations, labor, and productive organization that condition the recognition and valuation of the activities developed in the Vida Nova/Aragão Settlement