Juventude rural da UNICAFES Brasil: o contexto e a construção das estratégias de vida e trabalho

Abstract

Young people in rural Brazil are leaving the countryside, and there are several factors contributing to this situation, including low income, difficulty accessing land, and the lack of or restricted access to public goods and services, within a context of social inequality highlighted by the absence of public policies targeting youth, and more specifically rural youth. Thus, this study sought to understand and analyze the strategies adopted by these young people in shaping their life plans, based on an analysis of the following dimensions: autonomy, participation, agency, and future. The study is characterized as qualitative. Data collection took place between 2021 and 2022. The research subjects were 100 young people residing in all regions of Brazil who were involved in initiatives developed by UNICAFES Braz rational theory, with an application adapted to the analytical method employed by Maurício Serva (1996; 1997) in light of the proposed objectives. The UNICAFES cooperative network plays an important role in this context by providing training to young people through programs based on the principles of the solidarity economy. These training programs address the needs of young people in family farming, enabling them to remain in rural areas and adapt to rural realities. Thus, the study revealed that most of the young people surveyed intend to remain in rural areas, but the conditions are not attractive. As a result, young people are seeking income outside their farms, or even outside rural areas. To earn income, they are engaging in various jobs, sometimes in rural work, sometimes in urban activities. Public policies, even those targeted at this demographic such as Pronaf-Jovem do not reach young people. Despite this situation, families still encourage young people to remain in the countryside. Furthermore, most young family farmers still operate primarily within a substantive framework, as they adopt agricultural practices that are minimally mechanized and/or automated, as well as practices more focused on agroecological and/or agroforestry production that is, more sustainable management practices.