THE TECHNOLOGY “SISTEMINHA EMBRAPA” AND THE PROFITABILITY, RESILIENCE, AND SUSTAINABILITY OF FAMILY AGROECOSYSTEMS: A CASE STUDY IN THE CITIZENSHIP TERRITORY OF COCAIS, MARANHÃO STATE, BRAZIL

Abstract

Embrapa Cocais acted in Maranhão state for the Project “Brasil Sem Miséria”, which is part of the public policy of Brazilian federal government that focuses on productive inclusion, expansion of food security, and income generation. Several actions of technology transfer were carried out to train technicians and multiplier producers to implement and conduct the technology called “Sisteminha Embrapa”, which is an integrated food production system for family farming. This case study was carried out in a family production area whose main income, before the project implementation, was mainly anchored in the production of cassava flour. This family-farming producer opted for the adoption of the technology “Sisteminha Embrapa”, which represents the integration of animal and vegetable production in a small area of the property, in the perspective of sociotechnical adequacy and knowledge construction, together with the members of the producing family. The concept of agroecosystem and the methodology for its economic and ecological evaluation, used in this study, are those developed by AS-PTA. The partner farmer had previously worked with the productive subsystems of annual crops (cassava, rice, maize, beans, potatoes), fruits (cashew), and poultry and pig farming. The changes caused by the adoption of the “Sisteminha Embrapa” in the family agroecosystem led to a direct increase of food production diversity and consumption by the family, contributing to increase resilience and sustainability of the studied agroecosystem. Because of the phase of great domestic adaptation and change of family habits promoted by the adoption of “Sisteminha Embrapa”, the new types and amounts of food produced were consumed, or donated to friends and close relatives, which did not allow of a direct increase of family income. Nonetheless, the property had a small improvement in several evaluated sustainability attributes, such as autonomy, responsivity, and social integration.