Mecanismos de crédito e sustentabilidade na produção da agricultura familiar nos municípios de Cascavel e Toledo, no oeste do estado do Paraná

Abstract

This research sought to test if credit has been an instrument of sustainable devel-opment and economic and social viability for family farmers in the western region of Paraná, in the municipalities of Cascavel and Toledo. Our hypothesis is that the use of credit promotes sustainability on small farms, providing opportunities to produce healthier food and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The research was carried out in documentary form (articles, books and official documents) and in the field. The latter was carried out through interviews; a semi-structured questionnaire was drawn up and applied to each producer responsible for their property. These interviews generated information about the property, production, the use of credit, environmental conditions and sustainable development. Issues relating to credit cooperatives were also discussed. Knowledge of the sustainability of family farms, their social and environmental impacts on producers' activities, as well as credit lines, such as PRONAF, were also analyzed, along with the conditions for access, interest rates and guarantees required. Family farming presented itself as a possibility for sustainable agriculture. Respondents who did not use credit were more positively associated with organic production. These producers seek out training courses, make better use of their waste and rec-ognize the importance of separating organic waste from useful waste, while re-spondents who have used credit were more actively associated with conventional agriculture. On the other hand, farmers who produce conventional products have been in the business longer, have more people helping with production and apply insecticides to control pests. We concluded that our initial hypothesis that credit promotes sustainability was rejected, as credit users use sustainability techniques to a lesser extent than non-credit users. Credit lines for small producers, such as PRONAF, served as a basis in times past for implementing agricultural policies that sought to integrate family farming and sustainability in its economic, social and envi-ronmental dimensions, however, currently, credit lines have not favored sustainable production, as they do not promote the use of credit by the main producers of more sustainable agriculture.