Entre sertanejos e sertanejos: política agrícola e desigualdade no território do sertão do São Francisco

Abstract

The debate on inequality in Brazil has rekindled in the last decade, based on studies that replicate Piketty's model of analysis (2014), indicating that, unlike what was being pointed out, inequality did not follow the same pace of poverty reduction. From an analytical bias that highlights the class character of society, with Poulantzas and Gramsci as main theoretical references, inequality is studied in a subnational perspective, focusing on the state government, the least privileged entity in public policy studies. The objective of this research is to analyze, with respect to the issue of inequality, the role of agricultural policies aimed at producers of family agriculture and agribusiness in the irrigated fruit-growing pole of the Sertão do São Francisco Territory, in the first three governments of the Workers' Party (PT) in Bahia (2007- 2018). This thesis defends the hypothesis that, although the implementation of policies for family farmers, together with other social policies, has provided an improvement in the quality of life of these producers, they were not sufficient to promote the reduction of inequality, in view of the advantages obtained by fruit growers, ensured by policies aimed at agribusiness. The research methodology presents a predominantly qualitative approach, although it also uses quantitative techniques. As sources, open quantitative secondary data available on websites and databases are used, as well as other data provided by survey respondents, which were treated by descriptive statistical analysis; as well as official documents and semi-structured interviews carried out with public and private actors relevant to agricultural policies in the state and, especially, in the Sertão do São Francisco, which underwent content analysis techniques. As a result, we found that, although the territory has reduced poverty, linked mainly to federal income transfer programs, inequality has not been reduced in its dimensions of wealth and income. As for the first, land tenure regularization policies include land titles with areas that do not even allow subsistence in this region, as well as the legal obstacle in the regulation of Pasture Funds that have made these communities vulnerable and generated situations of conflict. Such land concentration also acts as a facilitator for the exploitation of labor for fruitgrowing agribusiness. As for income, public policies of technical assistance and rural development for family farmers were limited by the small population they reach, in addition to the larger budget program reaching groups previously organized productively. In view of this situation, the entry of family farming in the government's agenda, even though it has a more robust financial contribution, alongside policies for agribusiness aimed at political articulation, allowed the maintenance of the hegemony of the ruling classes, without interfering in the structure which concentrates income and wealth.