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Revista Brasileira de Educação do Campo
Brazilian Journal of Rural Education
ARTIGO/ARTICLE/ARTÍCULO
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20873/uft.rbec.e13837
Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
Diego Neves de Sousa1, Maria Eduarda Ribeiro de Jesus2, Márcia Mascarenhas Grise3
1 Embrapa Pesca e Aquicultura. Prolongamento da Avenida NS 10, cruzamento com a Av. LO 18 Sentido Norte Loteamento -
Água Fria. Palmas - TO. Brasil. 2 Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Tocantins - FIETO. 3 Embrapa Pesca e Aquicultura.
Author for correspondence: diego.sousa@embrapa.br
ABSTRACT. In order to meet the goals demanded by the 2030
agenda, it is essential to strengthen the different groups in family
farming, which represents a viable opportunity for sustainable
rural development. In this sense, this study aims to analyze
bibliographic productions from 2014 to 2021 on the
contributions of family farming to the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals. The methodology adopted was
the bibliometric review technique. The results indicate that from
the officialization in 2018 of the Decade of Family Agriculture
(2019-2028), with the aim of executing an action plan to combat
hunger and poverty through family farmers, the number of
publications increased, highlighted even more within the scope
of SDG metrics.
Keywords: Public policies, rural development, education,
poverty, sustainability.
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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Contribuições da Agricultura Familiar para a Consecução
dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS)
RESUMO. Para o cumprimento das metas demandadas pela
agenda 2030 indispensável está o fortalecimento dos diferentes
grupos da agricultura familiar o qual representa uma
oportunidade viável para o desenvolvimento rural sustentável.
Neste sentido, este estudo tem como objetivo analisar produções
bibliográficas do período de 2014 a 2021 sobre as contribuições
da agricultura familiar para a consecução dos Objetivos de
Desenvolvimento Sustentável. A metodologia adotada foi a
técnica de revisão bibliométrica. Os resultados apontam que a
partir da oficialização em 2018 da Década da Agricultura
Familiar (2019-2028), com o intuito de executar um plano de
ação de combate à fome e à pobreza por meio dos agricultores
familiares, é que o número de publicações se destacou ainda
mais no âmbito das métricas dos ODS.
Palavras-chave: Políticas públicas, desenvolvimento rural,
educação, pobreza, sustentabilidade.
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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Aportes de la Agricultura Familiar al Logro de los
Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS)
RESUMEN. Para cumplir con las metas que demanda la agenda
2030, es fundamental fortalecer a los diferentes grupos en la
agricultura familiar, que representa una oportunidad viable para
el desarrollo rural sostenible. En ese sentido, este estudio tiene
como objetivo analizar las producciones bibliográficas de 2014
a 2021 sobre las contribuciones de la agricultura familiar para el
logro de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible. La metodología
adoptada fue la técnica de revisión bibliométrica. Los resultados
indican que a partir de la oficialización en 2018 de la Década de
la Agricultura Familiar (2019-2028), con el objetivo de ejecutar
un plan de acción para combatir el hambre y la pobreza a través
de la agricultura familiar, se incrementó el número de
publicaciones, destacando aún más dentro del alcance de las
métricas de los ODS.
Palabras clave: Políticas públicas, desarrollo rural, educación,
pobreza, sostenibilidad.
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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Introduction
Nowadays, many nations have shown sensibility in having the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG) as reference in their government practices, which are characterized as an agenda
of sustainable actions that aim, in summary, to promote society well-being and quality of life,
in a univocal conception that humanity is not separate from the environment it lives in
(Gregolin et al., 2017). The SDG (or we can also refer to them as Agenda 2030) are a
collection of global objective and goals, established in 2015 by the United Nations (UN)
when recognizing the need to consider and balance, at the same time, the: social, economical
and environmental dimensions of development (Cardoso; Rodrigues Junior & Gaspar, 2019;
Souza; Viana & Fonseca Filho, 2019).
Among the many aspects inherent to Agenda 2030, we highlight the 17 SDGs that are
aimed to eradicating hunger (SDG 1); combating hunger and promoting sustainable
agriculture (SDG 2); promoting health and social well-being (SDG 3); promoting inclusive,
equitable and quality education (SDG 4); gender equality and women empowerment (SDG 5);
access to potable water and basic sanitations (SDG 6); guaranteeing clean and accessible
energy (SDG 7); promoting full employment, decent work and economic growth (SDG 8);
promoting industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9); reducing inequalities (SDG 10);
promoting sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11); sustainable production and
consumption standards (SDG 12); combating climate change and its impacts (SDG 13);
sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources (SDG 14); recovering and promoting
the conscious use of the ecosystems (SDG 15); promoting peace, justice and efficient
institutions (SDG 16) and articulating partnerships and means of implementation (SDG 17)
(United Nations, 2021).
The concept and premises of what is understood as sustainable development are in
vogue, and that is due, in part, to the complexity of the theme and also to the new realities that
society imposes (and their challenges), which offers countless practical subsidies to scholars
of the field. In light of this, when reviewing treaties on sustainable development, Gregoling et
al. (2017) note the expressive role of agriculture in promoting environmental sustainability. In
agreement with this, Coleto et al. (2021) consider that the public of family agriculture are
strategical actors in the rural sphere that provide sustainable development, from social and
economic aspects, productive inclusion and respect for the environment.
Thus, the objective of this study is to analyze bibliographic productions from 2014 to
2021 on the contributions of family farming to the achievement of the SDG.
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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Methodology
Aiming to understand the contribution of family farming to the achievement of the
SDG, this study used bibliometric review to map works on the subject in Brazil.
Bibliometric review is a technique from social sciences that focuses on metrics to
analyze indicators of production and dissemination of scientific knowledge. It is a
methodological resource that allows the researcher to analyze the scientific production of a
specific field of knowledge or theme being investigated in search platforms for academic
studies. Its application contributes to delve into a certain theme and can also aid in the
identification of prospective scenarios (Araújo, 2006; Sousa, 2019).
The research was conducted in May 2021, with the help of Google Scholar, search
platform for academic literature. The keywords were: “family farming” and “SDG” to search
for studies in Portuguese published from 2014 to 2021. After applying these filters, the
exercise was reading the articles, to have a better visualization of the studies and the listing of
the following categories: title, year of publication, research location, journal or congress in
which it was published, objective, theme, researched public, adopted methodology and the
results found in the study regarding the SDGs. At the end of the analysis, a summary of the
main results regarding the SDGs was conducted.
From a total of 32 mapped studies, we used 21 that presented contextualized evidence
of the contributions of the different segments of family farming to achieve the goals proposed
by Agenda 2030, the empirical object in question (Table 1). That is, we opted for scientific
documents that articulate explicitly in their content some aspect that refers to the SDG
thematic.
Table 1 - Mapped studies.
Title
Year of
publication
Type of
study
Theme
Family farming and institutional markets:
development as freedom.
2014
Article
Public policies
The state of food and nutritional security in
Brazil: a multidimensional portrait.
2014
Report
Food security
The actors of the construction of the Family
farming category in Brazil.
2014
Article
Social and productive
inclusion
The presence and potentialities of family farming
in Latin America and Caribe.
2016
Article
Social and productive
inclusion; Sustainable
Development.
The growing recognition of the contribution of
family farming to sustainable development.
2016
Article
Food security; Sustainable
development.
Family farming and solidary economy:
contextualization and initial notes on a relation
with the 17 objectives to transform our world.
2017
Article
Cooperativism.
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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Contribution to improve production with family
farming, indigenous peoples and traditional
populations.
2018
Book
chapter
Social and productive
inclusion.
Research agenda aimed at reducing inequalities
and at social inclusion.
2018
Book
chapter
Social and productive
inclusion.
Zero Hunger and sustainable farming: Embrapa
contributions.
2018
E-book
Social and productive
inclusion; Food security;
Sustainable development.
The human right to a dignified nutrition: how
family farming and home gardens help with this
right.
2018
Article
Food security.
The institutional market of buying food from
Family farming: PAA and PNAE in the territory
of Vale do Rio Pardo/RS.
2018
Article
Public policies.
Sustainable farming – a study.
2019
Article
Food security; Sustainable
development.
Family agroindustry, SDGs and alternative
development: a study on the “Fonte do Sabor” of
the Sami-Arid Paraibano/Brazil.
2019
Article
Social and productive
inclusion.
Agroecological transition as a strategy for
sustainable development and food and nutritional
security.
2019
Book
chapter
Food security; Agroecology.
School food, Family farming and Sustainable
Development Goals: relations from a study in the
city of Catuípe/RS.
2020
Article
Public policies; Food security.
Public purchases and the Sustainable
Development Goals: development of family
farming and democratization of organic food in
the DF.
2020
Article
Public policies.
Public policy for sustainable regional
development strengthened by family farming in
the city of Rio Branco.
2020
Article
Public policies; Sustainable
development.
Scanning essential concepts: public policies,
sustainable development, family farming and
food security.
2021
Book
chapter
Public policies; Sustainable
development; Food security.
Public policies, family farming and
sustainability.
2021
Book
chapter
Public policies; Sustainable
development.
About our work to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals in Brazil.
2021
Report
Sustainable development.
Farming technologies appropriate for the
agroecological transition in family farming.
2021
Article
Sustainable development;
Agroecology.
Source: elaborated by the authors.
After reading the mapped studies, the texts that discussed the central theme of the study
– the contribution of family farming to the achievement of the Sustainable Development
Goals – were selected and, as a result, we obtained 21 studies, divided in 13 articles, 5 book
chapters, 1 e-book and 2 scientific reports that presented contextualized evidence of the
empirical objective in question (Table 2).
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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Table 2 - Studies mapped for the bibliometric analysis.
Type of study
Number
Article
13
Book chapter
5
E-book
1
Report
2
Source: elaborated by the authors.
In 2014, 3 publications were identified with the theme of sustainability influenced by
the millennium goals that were established by the UN in 2000 and that preceded the actions of
Agenda 2030. With the exception of 2015, when there was no publication on the theme, from
2016 onward began, with no temporal interruption, the publication of studies on the SDGs
and family farming, highlighting the year of 2018, when there was the highest number of
publications (Figure 1).
Figure 1 - Evolution of the number of publications on the theme of family farming the SDGs in the period of
2014-2021.
Source: elaborated by the authors.
When identifying that the studies with this theme started to be published with more
emphasis from 2018 on, this increase was verified to be correlated to the period in which the
UN approved the A/RES/72/239 resolution, by which the United Nations Decade of Family
Farming (2019-2028) was proclaimed, an important step for the promotion of better public
policies for family farming and institutional recognition of this category to contribute to the
end of hunger and poverty, and, at the same time, to achieve the SDGs (FAO, 2019).
In this sense, regarding the articles from scientific journals, the concentration of articles
in national journals and primarily in the fields of Urban and Regional Planning,
Interdisciplinarity and Applied Social Sciences was verified, as shown in Table 3.
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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Table 3 - Final selection of the articles in journals for analysis.
Journals
Number
Field
Agroecology Journal
1
Interdisciplinarity
Dignity Re-vista
1
Philosophy
DRd – Regional Development in
Debate
1
Urban and Regional Planning
Redes – Journal of Regional
Development
2
Urban and Regional Planning
Journal of Rural Economy and
Sociology
1
Applied Social Sciences
Northeast Economy Journal
1
Applied Social Sciences
Latin Orbis Journal
1
Interdisciplinarity
Source: elaborated by the authors.
After the analysis of the theoretical/conceptual frameworks, the themes discussed in the
selected studies were diverse, with family farmers being the main empirical object studied by
the authors. The themes were fundamentally questions about cooperativism, sustainable
development, social and productive inclusion, public policies and food security, as shown in
Figure 2.
Figure 2 - Themes of the selected studies.
Source: elaborated by the authors.
For Brito, Ferreira and Pereira (2020), as well as for other author such as Sacco dos
Anjos and Becker (2014) and Schneider (2016), family farmers are an important part of
achieving the SDGs, regarding the promotion of rural and sustainable development and food
and nutritional security.
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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After applying the thematic filters of the selected studies, the exercise was reading the
studies, in order to elucidate which SDGs were directly connected to family farming and the
recurring way that these were discussed in the studies in question (Table 4).
Table 4 - SDGs identified in the mapped studies.
SDG
Authors
1. Eradicating poverty
SACCO DOS ANJOS & BECKER (2014); PATRIOTA & PIERRI
(2016); BRITO; FERREIRA & PEREIRA (2020); LEITE;
CHACON & CUNHA (2021).
2. Zero hunger and sustainable
farming
FAO (2014); SACCO DOS ANJOS & BECKER (2014);
PATRIOTA & PIERRI (2016); SCHNEIDER (2016); ALMEIDA;
SÁ & ANNA (2018); DEPONTI. et al. (2018); GOMES &
MEDEIROS (2018); SALES et al. (2019); SOUZA; VIANA &
FONSECA FILHO (2019); BRITO; FERREIRA & PEREIRA
(2020); KAWAKAMI; SOUZA & QUIRINO (2020); KRÜGER, N.
R; BASSO, D; VIEIRA, E. L. (2020); CHACON (2021);
CARDOSO; RODRIGUES JUNIOR & GASPAR (2021); LEITE;
CHACON & CUNHA (2021).
3. Health and well-being
SCHNEIDER (2016); BRITO; FERREIRA & PEREIRA, (2020).
7. Clean and accessible energy
SALES et al. (2019).
10. Reduction of inequalities
PICOLOTTO (2014); UDRY & DIAS (2018); SALES et al. (2019);
LEITE; CHACON & CUNHA (2021).
11. Sustainable cities and
communities
SALES et al. (2019).
12. Responsible consumption
and production
SACCO DOS ANJOS & BECKER (2014); PATRIOTA & PIERRI
(2016); SCHNEIDER (2016); SALES et al. (2019); BRITO;
FERREIRA & PEREIRA (2020); LEITE; CHACON & CUNHA
(2021); NICODEMO et al. (2021).
13. Action against climate
change
LEITE; CHACON & CUNHA (2021); NICODEMO et al. (2021).
15. Life on land
SCHNEIDER (2016); BRITO; FERREIRA & PEREIRA (2020);
NICODEMO et al. (2021).
SDGs in general
GREGOLIN et al. (2017); NAÇÕES UNIDAS (2021).
Source: elaborated by the authors.
In light of this analysis, it was identified that SDG 2 “zero hunger and sustainable
farming” was mentioned in 15 out of the 21 selected studies and has been object of debate for
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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most of the authors regarding the relation between family farming and the SGDs. Among the
goals established for eradicating hunger, achieving food and nutritional security and
promoting sustainable farming, some are directly connected to strengthening family farming
and promoting sustainable system for food production.
For Deponti et al. (2018) and Kawakami, Souza and Quirino (2020), SAN’s perspective
became essential to associate family farming as a fundamental part of a public strategy to
combat hunger and to develop the country. Thus, according to FAO (2014), public policy is
an effective path to contribute to achieving this objective through income transference
programs, and also through the formulation of structuring public policies, such as the
strengthening of family farming.
Following objective 2, the SDGs “responsible consumption and production” appeared in
a third of the mapped studies and pervades the discussions on development allied with
sustainability, which gives family farming an essential characteristic to production diversity,
which makes up one of its main potentialities when introducing sustainable rural development
strategies (Bauinain, 2006). Considering what has been exposed, when guaranteeing
sustainable production and consumption standards, as pointed out in objective 12, Gregolin et
al. (2017) explain the importance of family farming having a relationship with the
environment, be it in its daily practice (organic especially) or in the little pressure it exerts in
the expansion of agricultural frontiers, to achieve and promote social, equitable, economic
and environmental development with a sustainable base and, consequently, the achievement
of the SDGs.
Contextualizing family farming and its relation with the SDGs
International organizations like the UN, through the United Nations’ Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), have encouraged the strengthening of sustainable farming
for the promotion of a nutritiously adequate and healthy food (Souza, Viana & Fonseca Filho,
2019). However, the farming that is referenced is not that of extensive monoculture, of
production prioritizing exportation and that generates degradation of the environment, but that
of farming reclaimed to sustainable development called family farming, which, according to
Gregolin et al. (2017), needs public policies, programs and actions of all kinds to stay alive
and active to contribute with the food supply of the population through sustainable handling
practices.
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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For Brito, Ferreira and Pereira (2020), family farmers are an important part in achieving
the SDGs, regarding rural development and promoting nutritional and food security actions.
Other authors, such as Sacco dos Anjos and Becker (2014) and Schneider (2016), corroborate
this idea by point out family farming as the most convenient and ideal possibility for the
construction of sustainable rural development. Even with the agrobusiness competition and its
short commerce chains, for Chacon (2021), family farming is still being responsible for most
of the production of in natura food in the world, corroborating the food sector, which can
guarantee food security for a considerable part of the population, specially those in vulnerable
situations. Furthermore, it is from the productive choices and socio-productive organization
that we can find answers to some of the current crisis that society is facing, as the case of the
inflation of basic food items and fuel. In this sense, Patriota and Pierri (2016) state that small
and medium scale farming has been showing, gradually, its capacity of contributing with a
good part of the solution to many current global challenges having the adequate means. For
example, challenges such as loss of biodiversity and soil degradation, and even situations of
food insecurity and poverty.
To contribute to this debate, Sachs (1993) presented five dimensions to achieving
sustainability. According to the author, any planning that aims to promote development must
take them into consideration: 1. Social sustainability, 2. Economic sustainability, 3.
Ecological sustainability, 4. Spatial sustainability and 5. Cultural sustainability (Sachs, 1993).
In this scope, the materialization of sustainable development necessarily goes through the
rediscovery and reinvention of the rural environment, and it is suggested that it must happen
with the support of family farming policies (and its collective organizations), consolidating
and modernizing the segment following its specificities and ways of life (Gregolin et al.,
2017).
For Schneider (2016) and Sales et al. (2019), in the case of collective organizations,
especially traditional family agrobusiness, these are considered an important link for the
(re)connection between production and consumption of healthy and sustainable foods, besides
being an entry point for insertion in formal and viable markets, contributing for a proper
productive inclusion of the farmers.
With the creation of the National Policy for Family Farming and Rural Family
Businesses (Law nº 11.326/2006), the idea of sustainability was associated with agricultural
production in a more solid way, through government actions with proposal of public policies,
such as the integration of the theme in the judicial norms for regulating family-based
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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agricultural activities (Brito; Ferreira & Pereira, 2020, apud Medeiros, 2019). For these
authors, family farmers exercise a significant function in achieving the SDGs, especially
objectives 1, 2, 3, 10, 12, 13 and 15. The start of the UN Decade of Family Farming in 2019,
with the aim of executing an action plan to combat hunger and poverty, comes to corroborate
what Brito, Ferreira and Pereira (2020) emphasize when pointing out that the solution to rural
poverty and inequality was in remaking and providing the State’s support to the agricultural
sector and, especially, when meeting the yearnings of family farming given its fragilities and
difficulties in inserting itself in markets.
Regarding SDG 1 “ending poverty in all forms and everywhere”, Gregolin et al. (2017)
emphasize that considering the occupation potential of people in family farming production,
as well as the insertion of family farmers in formal markets through cooperatives and
associations, one can already see actions that can mitigate rural poverty, once organized, the
farmer tends to have better economic results than when isolated. According to Leite, Chacon
and Cunha (2021), the report on Global Development from 2008m titled “Agriculture for
Development” pointed out that the increase in farming productivity, profitability and
sustainability of small owners is the main path to leave poverty. Furthermore, the productive
and diversified potential of family farming food, as well as the vocation for fair, solidary and
local/regional commerce of cooperativism is directly tied to SDG 2.
Among the goals established for achieving the second SDG: “ending hunger, achieving
food security and improving nutrition and promoting sustainable farming” is directly tied to
strengthening the family farming category and promoting sustainable systems for food
production. For example, goal 2.3 is mentioned, which refers directly to the strengthening and
productive inclusion of family farmers, with emphasis in gender equality and inclusion of
more vulnerable groups, such as indigenous peoples and other traditional peoples, and the
access to productive resources, knowledge and markets. In the case of goal 2.4, it refers to the
promotion of sustainable systems for food production and the adoption of resilient farming
practices, aimed at maintaining the ecosystems, adapting to climate changes and improving
soil quality (Souza, Viana & Fonseca Filho, 2019).
In the perspective of Nutritional and Food Security (SAN), it became essential to
associate it with family farming as a fundamental part of a public strategy to combat hunger
and to promote rural development in the country. Therefore, public policies can contribute to
potentialize the achievement of this objective. In 2014, FAO highlighted that Brazil
significantly reduced hunger, malnutrition and underfeeding (FAO, 2014). The explanation
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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for this reduction in the indexes was attributed to the expansion of income transference
programs and also the formulation of structuring public policies, such as the one for
strengthening family farming and institutional markets (Deponti et al., 2018; Kawakami,
Souza & Quirino, 2020).
Contributing to the achievement of the SDGs, the Food Acquisition Program (FAP) is
worth mentioning in the field of public policies supporting family farming, by facing a
chronic problem for family farmers: the lack of forma markets for selling small-scale
production. The School Food National Program (SFNP) is also highlighted, which, at the
same time as it contributes to reduce malnutrition in children in schools, brings positive
impacts for collective enterprises of family farming (Gomes & Medeiros, 2018). Both also
contribute to dynamize the local economy, especially of small and medium cities (Coleto et
al., 2021). For Krüger, Basso and Vieira (2020), the relation between family farming and
school nutrition is an evident example of the State’s efforts to promote sustainable
development. The growing increase in the registration of new family agro-industries, apt to
provide food to the SFNP, is an opportunity that represents multiple impacts regarding local
and sustainable development, by providing SAN connection and reach by the schools and
reduction of poverty and hunger in local communities and populations in vulnerable
socioeconomic situation.
Knowing that food and farming are directly or indirectly related to all SDGs, according
to Almeida, Sá and Anna (2018), food production aligned with sustainable innovations and
practices contributes to improve quality of life, to reduce the price of basic foods and, to a
higher food exportation, contributing to the dynamization of the local/regional economy. The
public acquisition programs have, with that, great potential to contribute to the achievement
of the UN Agenda 2030. Emphasis on SDG 2 “Zero hunger and sustainable farming” and
SDG 3 “Promoting health and well-being”, by the increase of farmers’ family income and
also by providing healthier food to the low-income population, as instituted in the guidelines
of the governmental acquisition programs. Thus, it is about the democratization of access to
organic and/or agroecological food for the general population and promoting sustainable rural
development, at the same time (Kawakami, Souza & Quirino, 2020).
In the case of Brazil, the multiplicity of family farming conditions could seem as a
threat to productivity and competitiveness. However, in practice, it is a segment that is
responsible for achieving food security and can represent an opportunity to establish new
models focused on the conservationist handling of natural resources. In other words, family
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farming contributes significantly to the conservation and sustainable use of waters and can
collaborate in achieving the goals of SDG 6: “Potable water and sanitation” (Urdy & Dias,
2018). In the study by Gregolin et al. (2017), they consider family farming as a promoter of
sustainable development, as its unfolding considers several aspects that are seen as primordial
by sustainability scholars, such as: respect for the environment, economic freedom and
participation, work aiming to not compromise future generations and strengthening the local
economy.
In addition to public policies to strengthen family farming, policies aimed at the
productive inclusion in the rural environment has had a fundamental role in achieving the
SDGs, above all SDG 10: “Reduction of inequalities”. Urdy and Dias (2018) highlight the
contribution of agricultural research in the search for sustainable technological solutions to
guide the process of productive inclusion and reduction of socioeconomic inequalities,
especially of rural production in poverty and extreme poverty situation. Therefore, the
relevance of the development of farming and cattle raising to reduce inequalities in the rural
environment is fundamental, being indispensable for technological updating and innovation of
the population that lives in the countryside and professionals that work with this public.
Through the implementation of public policies aimed at family farming, Science &
Technology institutions, directly or by consultancy, can contribute using studies on job and
income generation in the countryside, installation of processing industries, fomentation of
agricultural cooperatives, increase in tax collection indexes and, consequently, the
improvement in education, health, transport, among other essential aspects to sustainable rural
development. The increase in farming production and productivity allows for food price
reduction and, in turn, contributes to increase the acquisition power of populations in poverty
situation and to reduce social inequalities (Urdy & Dias, 2018). In the scope of family
farming, the change in status from a old, inefficient and inadequate segment to adjectives such
as modern, efficient, sustainable, solidary and food productor was sought (Picolotto, 2014), in
which scientific and technological development and innovation have contributed significantly
to reduce inequalities in the countryside and the socio-productive inclusion of this segment
(Urdy & Dias, 2018).
Corroborating the discussions about development allied with sustainability, Bauinain
(2006) highlighted the fundamental role of family farming, due to its essential characteristic:
production diversity, which is one of its main potentialities to introduce agroecology as a rural
development strategy. When guaranteeing sustainable production and consumption standards,
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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as pointed out in SDG 12, the study by Gregolin et al. (2017) reinforces the importance of
how family farming relates with the environment, be it in its daily practice or in the little
pressure it exerts in the expansion of agricultural borders. In this sense, SDG 13: “Take urgent
measures to combat climate change and its impacts” and 15: “Protect, recover and promote
the sustainable use of the land ecosystems, sustainably manage the forests, combating
desertification, stop and reverse land degradation and stop loss of biodiversity” are also
contemplated by the theme in question.
The multifunctionality of family farming, which, besides producing food and raw
matter, generates more than 80% of the rural sector occupation and favors the use of
productive practices that are more ecologically balanced, such as crop diversification, less use
of industrial input and preservation of the genetic patrimony (Leite; Chacon & Cunha, 2021).
Thus, the sustainability of the productive systems has also been a target of public policies
propositions, such as the National Agroecology and Organic Production Plan (Planapo),
which has produced positive impact by fomenting not only production in sustainable bases,
but also the use and conservation of natural resources, as well as stimulating teaching and
research aimed at an ecologically based agriculture (Gomes & Medeiros, 2018).
Despite the huge challenges to the formulation and implementation of policies in
developing countries, Patriota and Pierri (2016) highlight that this “new” perspective lead by
family farming is contributing to get more attention to its specificities and concrete
implications during the formulation of rural development policies. Investing in this type of
farming is relevant to the country, and even it already being a reference, this opportunity to
gain value is achieved due to the advances that were promoted by public policies, created
since the decade of 1990, specifically for the sector (Almeida, Sá & Anna, 2018).
Regardless, the promotion of family farming contributes to reduce poverty and
inequalities in the countryside, higher diversification and higher stability in food production,
strengthening the food supply, sustainable development in a local level, reducing rural
exodus, even with the return of generations that had left for the city. Issues such as access to
land and natural resources, lines of credit and insurance, technical assistance and rural
extension service, access to viable markets and rural infrastructure are part of a repertoire of
policies that must be adapted, specifically, to the needs of small-scale rural activities with
intensive work use and higher environmental sustainability (Patriota & Pierri, 2016;
Nicodemo et al., 2021).
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In general, it is understood that family farming contributes not only to increase
production and access to healthy foods, but also to income distribution (by dynamizing the
local commerce) and to the sustainable development of the country (Almeida, Sá & Anna,
2018). Therefore, Sales et al. (2019) observe that the farmers and their respective family agro-
industries need public policies that strengthen their organizations. It is verified that family
farmers’ collective productive enterprises achieve full development from the objective of
reducing poverty and of income generation, as well as reducing rural exodus, to the point of
changing people’s reality and promoting quality of life in balance with nature. These are some
of the primordial elements for the achievement of the global accords, enacted by Agenda 2030
and the SDGs to achieve and promote sustainable social, equitable, economic and
environment development, in addition to generating jobs and income and improving the
quality of life of family farmers.
Generally speaking, family and the countryside represent a unit that evolves
continuously and performs economic, environmental, social and cultural function in the wider
rural economy and in the territorial networks in which they are integrated. Several aspects that
are seen as primordial to achieve the SDGs are a part of family farming, promoter of
sustainable development, such as: respect for the environment, economic freedom and
participation, work aiming to not compromise future generations, gender equality and
strengthening of the local economy. Thus, the importance of empowering them, in the sense
of guiding them in practices that promote sustainable local development and, thus, the
effective internalization of the SDGs.
Family farmers and their collective organizations have potential to promote
sustainability of farming and of the agro-food systems, for which a favorable and essential
regulatory environment is necessary to support them. And for this public to achieve full
development from the objective of reducing poverty and of income generation, to the point of
changing people’s reality and promoting quality of life in balance with nature, it is concluded
that family farmers need actions and public policies that strengthen their organizations,
besides society’s contribution as a whole, through partnerships between different social
actors, aiming to support the cause and the practice of conscious actions of respect for life and
the environment as a way to transform the local reality. These are primordial elements to
establish the accords made globally, enacted by Agenda 2030 and the SDGs to achieve and
promote sustainable social, equitable, economic and environmental development. This
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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becomes sine qua non condition for family farmers to amplify their contribution to the
sustainability of where they are inserted.
Conclusion
The SDGs represent a global action plan to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger, in
additions to offering quality education throughout life for all, protecting the planet and
promoting peaceful and inclusive societies by 2030, and currently, several nations have been
driven to action with them as reference.
When reviewing treaties on sustainable rural development, we note the expressive role
of farming (especially family farming) in promoting environmental sustainability and that the
farmers, given their peculiar cultural identity, are an important part in achieving the SDGs,
regarding the promotion of sustainable rural development and food and nutritional security of
the general population. Another result is that family farming has been showing, gradually, its
capacity to be part of the solution of many current global challenges, as long as it has the
adequate means to do so.
From the officialization of the Decade of Family Farming (2019-2028), with the
objective of executing an action plan to combat hunger and poverty, family farming started to
stand out even more in the scope of the Sustainable Development Goals, from the increase in
the number of publications on this theme in 2018, as stated in this research. With that, the
need of the State’s participation for the formulation and improvement of public policies for
social and productive inclusion to strengthen this sociopolitical category became evident.
Therefore, for the construction and implementation of public policies that aim to guide
humanity to 2030, the strengthening of different family farming groups is one of the main
goals to achieve a sustainable agenda.
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Article Information
Received on January 28th, 2022
Accepted on September 03th, 2022
Published on December, 19th, 2022
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)...
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Author Contributions: The author were responsible for the designing, delineating, analyzing and interpreting the data,
production of the manuscript, critical revision of the content and approval of the final version published.
Conflict of Interest: None reported.
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How to cite this article
APA
Sousa, D. N., Jesus, M. E. R., & Grise, M. M. (2022). Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG). Rev. Bras. Educ. Camp., 7, e13837. http://dx.doi.org/10.20873/uft.rbec.e13837
ABNT
SOUSA, D. N.; JESUS, M. E. R.; GRISE, M. M. Contributions of Family Farming to the Achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG). Rev. Bras. Educ. Camp., Tocantinópolis, v. 7, e13837, 2022.
http://dx.doi.org/10.20873/uft.rbec.e13837
