The Food Acquisition Program from the perspective of farmers: a case study in Amaraji – Pernambuco

Abstract

Family farming is largely responsible for food production in Brazil. The scale of production and logistical arrangements of family farmers make marketing difficult and demand public policies. Through the Food Acquisition Program (PAA), the state bought food produced by family farmers, organized in associations and cooperatives. This study presents the perception of farming families, in Pernambuco. It expounds the limits and possibilities of the PAA. This is a case study. We chose thenon-probabilistic sampling method for data collection, using observations and semi-structured interviews, applied through convenience sampling. Participation in the Program allowed conditions for access to goods and services, through the market. The results show that among the farmers participating in the PAA in the chosen municipality, the greatest difficulties in accessing and participating in the program are the availability of budget and the bureaucracy of submitting proposals. The research points to alack of complementarities between public policies for rural populations.