O PAPEL DA AGRICULTURA FAMILIAR CAPIXABA NO SÉCULO XXI

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of family farming in Espírito Santo in the 21st century, highlighting its historical trajectory and its socioeconomic relevance. The transition from slave labor to free labor, which occurred in the second half of the 19th century, resulted in an exclusionary process for freed blacks. While European immigrants received land, logistical support, and productive integration, former slaves were left on the margins, without any public policy that would allow them to be properly integrated into Brazilian and Espírito Santo society. This context perpetuated racial inequalities that still mark the land structure of Espírito Santo. The study also highlights the role of the Espírito Santo Development Bank (BANDES) in promoting family farming. From the 2000s onwards, the bank underwent important institutional reforms, focusing on decentralizing credit and forming networks of qualified consultants to serve small producers. The operationalization of PRONAF by BANDES represented a milestone in access to rural credit. With specific lines of financing and criteria compatible with the reality of family farmers, the program has become a decisive instrument for modernizing production and strengthening economic autonomy in the countryside.