Land reform, food regimes and rural development: evidence from the rural territories from Rio Grande do Norte state

Abstract

The objective of this study is to present agrarian reform experiences related to family farming agri-food regimes in the context of rural development of the territories of Rio Grande do Norte, during the periods of the I and II National Agrarian Reform Plans (PNRA). The methodology consisted of exploratory and descriptive research, analyzing quantified information on ATER (Technical Assistance and Rural Extension) actions, initially in the neoliberal market logic of the 1990s, and then due to the emergence in the 2000s of more diversified dietary regimes for each territory. As techniques prevailed the bibliographic and documentary research, and the field research with interviews with public and private managers, and with family farmers of the studied experiences. The results revealed that agrarian reform experiences are important, especially with new, more diversified diets, but presented difficulties due to the discontinuities of ATER actions. However, the most outstanding results of the research refer to the experiences of market integration when building rural development dynamics in the territories of Rio Grande do Norte, state.

Keywords:
land reform; food regimes; family farming; territory