Abstract

Family agriculture has a recognized economic, environmental and social potential, which in recent years has been prestigious and strengthened by government programs that encourage the production and processing of their products, thus Food and Nutrition Security actions can be implemented, increasing the availability of food and the variability of nutrients to the population, favoring the their marketing at local and regional levels, contributing to healthy eating habits and thus improving the quality of food. The Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos (PAA) [Food Acquisition Program] was established by the article 19 of Law nº 10.696 in 2003 as one of the actions of the Programa Fome Zero [Zero Hungry Program] your main goal is the strengthening of family agriculture. The objective of this study was to identify the perceptions of farmers on the meaning of being part of the PAA and their understanding of concepts related to food, nutrition and health through a qualitative research. The results of this study were greater access to information such as health, food, forms of production and management, economics, rights and duties, among others; improved income and family investments; improved self-esteem/self-worth and stimulate the interaction of family farmers. In this context, it is necessary that the PAA increasingly become an empowering tool of agriculture family in the health care and Food and Nutrition Security permanently as proposed in his law of creation.

Keywords:
Public Policies; Family Agriculture; Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos; Food and Nutrition Security

Introduction

Family agriculture has a recognized economic, environmental and social potential, which has been, in recent years, celebrated and strengthened by government programs that stimulate and encourage the production and processing of its products (Silva, 2010SILVA, S. G. Territorialidade, agricultura familiar e agroecológica: uma análise introdutória do Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos-PAA na demanda territorial de 2008. In: CONGRESSO LATINO AMERICANO DE SOCIOLOGIA RURAL, 8., 2010, Porto de Galinhas. Anais... Porto de Galinhas: Alasru, 2010.). Thus, this model of agriculture began to be seen as an alternative for sustainable development, requiring specific public policies to strengthen them.

The marketing of production in the context of family farming has been a concern, considering that, although the credit for the production has grown significantly in recent years, the sale of its products and acceptance thereof on the market becomes the main challenge for a fairer development when compared to agribusiness (Silva, 2010SILVA, S. G. Territorialidade, agricultura familiar e agroecológica: uma análise introdutória do Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos-PAA na demanda territorial de 2008. In: CONGRESSO LATINO AMERICANO DE SOCIOLOGIA RURAL, 8., 2010, Porto de Galinhas. Anais... Porto de Galinhas: Alasru, 2010.; Grisa, 2011GRISA, C. et al. Contribuições do Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos à segurança alimentar e nutricional e à criação de mercados para a agricultura familiar. Agriculturas, Rio de Janeiro, v. 8, n. 3, 2011.).

From family agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security (FNS) actions can be implemented, increasing the availability of food and nutrient variability to the population, facilitating marketing at the local and regional levels, in addition to contributing to healthy eating habits, consequently improving the quality of food (Maluf, 2007MALUF, R. S. J. Segurança alimentar e nutricional. Petrópolis: Vozes, 2007.).

The Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos [Food Acquisition Program] (PAA) was established by article 19 of law No. 10,696 of July 2, 2003, as one of the actions of the Fome Zero [Zero Hunger] program (Brazil, 2003BRASIL. Lei nº 10696, de 2 de julho de 2003. Dispõe sobre a repactuação e o alongamento de dívidas oriundas de operações de crédito rural, e dá outras providências. Lei de criação do Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos-PAA. Diário Oficial da União, Seção 1, Poder Executivo, Brasília, DF, 3 jul. 2003. Seção 1. Disponível em: <Disponível em: http://planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/Leis/2003/l10.696.htm >. Acesso em: 11 abr. 2014.
http://planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/Leis/20... ), being updated by law No. 12,512, October 14, 2011, with regulation via Decree no. 7,775, July 4, 2012. It has as its main objective the strengthening of family agriculture. PAA also have as goals to: generate income and sustain prices for family agriculture; strengthen the associations and cooperatives of farmers; ensure access to a diversified alimentation to the population in situation of food and nutritional insecurity (or in conditions of social vulnerability); enhance production and food culture of the populations; promote the establishment of families in the rural area; boost the local economy (as it increases the food supply in the local market and generates a larger number of jobs); promote formation of strategic food stocks; improve the quality of the products of family agriculture; encourage the agroecological management of productive systems and/or organic agriculture; and promote the rescue and preservation of biodiversity (Conab, 2003CONAB - COMPANHIA NACIONAL DE ABASTECIMENTO. Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos-PAA: ações da CONAB em 2003. 2003. Disponível em: <Disponível em: http://www.conab.gov.br/OlalaCMS/uploads/arquivos/12_07_23_11_43_47_sumario_paa_2003.pdf >. Acesso em: 22 fev. 2016.
http://www.conab.gov.br/OlalaCMS/uploads... ; Neto, 2012NASCIMENTO NETO, M. P. do. O Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos-PAA no município de Lagoa Seca -PB: análise das transformações vivenciadas na agricultura familiar. 2012. Dissertação (Mestrado em Desenvolvimento Regional) - Universidade Estadual do Paraíba, Campina Grande (PB), 2012.).

Since its inception, a new theme won space on public policy agenda of rural development in Brazil: "the construction of institutional markets". Rural social movements and civil society organizations started to run the program, to claim its magnification repeatedly, and to demand improvements of its mechanisms and the construction of new initiatives. Several public managers also committed themselves to the implementation of the program and to the construction of public spaces of participation that contributed to monitor and improve its mechanisms. Concerning research rural studies on the PAA, institutional markets began to have increased visibility due to the relevance of their achievements in the last decade (Grisa; Schneider, 2015GRISA. C.; SCHNEIDER. S. Dez anos de PAA: as contribuições e os desafios para o desenvolvimento rural no Brasil. In: GRISA, C; SCHNEIDER, S. Políticas públicas de desenvolvimento rural no Brasil. Porto Alegre: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 2015.).

The Program went on to draw attention also to international agencies and other countries, going beyond the Brazilian scenario, gaining thus important national and international projection, serving as example to be "replicated" or "exported" to other countries. This happened in Africa (Purchase from Africans for Africa) in 2010, covering five countries of the sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, measures were taken for the development of similar programs in Latin America. Recent reports organized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also highlight the innovations of the PAA to build markets aimed at the strengthening of family agriculture and to food and nutritional security (Arias et al., 2013ARIAS, P. et al. Smallholder integration in changing food markets. Roma: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013. Disponível em: <Disponível em: http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3292e/i3292e.pdf >. Acesso em: 21 nov. 2015.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3292e/i32... ; Sanchez, Veloso; Ramirez, 2014SANCHEZ, A.; VELOSO, N.; RAMIREZ, A. Agricultura familiar y compras publicas: innovaciones en la agenda de la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional. In: SALCEDO, S.; GUZMAN, L. Agricultura familiar en América Latina y el Caribe: recomendaciones de política. Santiago, Chile: FAO, 2014. p. 349-369. Disponível em: <Disponível em: http://www.fao.org/docrep/019/i3788s/i3788s.pdf >. Acesso em: 21 nov. 2015.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/019/i3788s/i37... ; Grisa, Schneider, 2014GRISA, C.; SCHNEIDER, S. Três gerações de políticas públicas para a agricultura familiar e formas de interação entre sociedade e estado no Brasil. Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural, Brasília, DF, v. 52, p. 125-146, 2014.; Grisa, Schneider, 2015GRISA. C.; SCHNEIDER. S. Dez anos de PAA: as contribuições e os desafios para o desenvolvimento rural no Brasil. In: GRISA, C; SCHNEIDER, S. Políticas públicas de desenvolvimento rural no Brasil. Porto Alegre: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 2015.).

In the program, the purchase of foods occur without competitive bidding and the amounts paid are compatible with those of regional markets. This is an important institutional innovation, since it privileges family farming over producers of higher food production scales. The products should be directed to social assistance institutions, or to a public power supply equipment, in the case of this study a Food Bank (Banco de Alimentos - BA).

Food banks aim to intermediate the receiving donations of food for consumption, destined to social assistance institutions, and also the process of commercialization of food among family farmers (beneficiary suppliers) and beneficiary consumers (in vulnerability) through the PAA. The food is received (via donations from supermarkets, food industries or purchased through the PAA, National Supply Company (CONAB) and other), selected, divided, processed or not, packaged, and distributed for free to social assistance entities (Brasil, 2003BRASIL. Lei nº 10696, de 2 de julho de 2003. Dispõe sobre a repactuação e o alongamento de dívidas oriundas de operações de crédito rural, e dá outras providências. Lei de criação do Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos-PAA. Diário Oficial da União, Seção 1, Poder Executivo, Brasília, DF, 3 jul. 2003. Seção 1. Disponível em: <Disponível em: http://planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/Leis/2003/l10.696.htm >. Acesso em: 11 abr. 2014.
http://planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/Leis/20... ; Santos, 2010SANTOS, A. T. Agricultura familiar e programa de aquisição de alimentos: uma análise de sua implantação no Município de Ponta Grossa. 2010. Dissertação (Mestrado em Gestão do Território) - Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, 2010.).

Therefore, the PAA favors the family farmer through the acquisition of part of his/hers food production with fairer prices and with the guarantee of payment, as well as contributing to improvement of the feeding of individuals in a situation of food insecurity or social vulnerability. This program is a tool that can enable both FNS policies, as policies that contribute to the development of family farming (Mattei, 2007MATTEI, L. Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos da Agricultura Familiar (PAA): antecedentes, concepção e composição geral do programa. Cadernos do CEAM, v. 7, p. 33-44, 2007.).

In this context, the aim of this study was to identify the farmers' perceptions about what it means to be part of the PAA and their understanding of concepts related to food, nutrition and health, by means of a qualitative research.

Methodology

This was a cross-sectional and descriptive study carried out in the year of 2014, with farmers included in the PAA-BA, in the municipality of Ubá, rural zone of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The estimated population of the municipality in 2013 was 108,493 inhabitants. In 2010, from the total of 101,519 inhabitants, 96.2% resided in urban areas, while the remaining in the rural area (IBGE, 2010IBGE - INSTITUTO BRASILEIRO DE GEOGRAFIA E ESTATÍSTICA. Sinopse do Censo Demográfico 2010. Disponível em: <Disponível em: http://www.censo2010.ibge.gov.br/sinopse/index.php?uf=31&dados=29 >. Acesso em: 5 maio 2014.
http://www.censo2010.ibge.gov.br/sinopse... ).

Family farmers of both genders, aged above 19 years, including adults and older adults, participated in this study. The inclusion criterion was the insertion of the farmer in the PAA-BA of the municipality of Ubá, Minas Gerais, Brazil. We chose to work with the representative sample of family farmers (n = 58) inserted in the program.

The calculation of the sample considered the total number of farmers recorded in the PAA, in 2013 (population: 168 family farmers), 5% of tolerated error and 95% confidence interval, thus obtaining a sample size of 52 family farmers. We increased 10% of this value predicting losses, thus resulting in: 58 family farmers (n = 58). Moreover, the conservative prevalence was of 30%. Through sortition of the number of registration of family farmers in the PAA, we initially obtained 58 family farmers (Callegari-Jacques, 2003CALLEGARI-JACQUES, S. M. Bioestatística: princípios e aplicações. Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2003.). These were contacted personally receiving all the necessary information about the research, present in the informed consent form. There was no rejection to participate, and neither withdrawals throughout the study.

The research met the ethical requirements, regulatory standards and guidelines for research with human beings proposed in resolution 466/2012 of the National Health Council (CNS) (CNS, 2012CNS - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE SAÚDE. Resolução nº 466, de 12 de dezembro de 2012. 2012. Disponível em: <Disponível em: http://www.sap.sp.gov.br/download_files/pdf_files/comite_de_etica_em_pesquisa_SAP/resolucao-466_12-12.pdf >. Acesso em: 5 maio 2014.
http://www.sap.sp.gov.br/download_files/... ). The project was submitted to and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The study began after the consent forms were duly signed by the participants. In addition to a letter of consent from the Food Bank signed by its legal responsible.

The instrument used for the collection of information during the interviews with the farmers was a semi-structured type questionnaire (Richardson, 2007RICHARDSON, R. J. Pesquisa Social: métodos e técnicas. 3. ed. São Paulo: Atlas, 2007.). This type of questionnaire combined closed and open questions, in which the interviewee could talk freely about the issue at hand without being limited by the question. The information was registered by taking notes of the statements, since, during the pilot study we observed embarrassment and intimidation from farmers when, in some questions (open), it was necessary to record their answers. Therefore, to avoid discomfort and insecurity, complying with the ethics in research with humans, the research followed with reliable register of the statements by taking notes.

For analysis of the qualitative material, we used Content Analysis in the Thematic Analysis mode. Data treatment was performed by descriptive statistical analysis by means of frequency calculation.

The guiding question of this survey was "Talk a little of what it means to you to be part of the Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos". The aim of this question was to list the main meanings of PAA in the lives of these family farmers, inserted in the program, which has as leading goals to: generate income; promote the production of food for self-consumption; sell the surplus to local markets at a fair price, thus sustaining family farming and local marketing; boost the local economy (as it increases the food supply in the local market and generates a larger number of jobs); encourage the agroecological management of productive systems and/or organic agriculture; enhance production and food culture of the populations; improve the quality of the products of family agriculture; ensure access to a diversified alimentation to the population in situation of food and nutritional insecurity; promote the establishment of families in the rural area; strengthen the associations and cooperatives of farmers; as well as promote the rescue and preservation of biodiversity.

Through the responses of family farmers, we made successive readings for qualitative analysis (Minayo, 1992MINAYO, M. C. de S. O desafio do conhecimento: pesquisa qualitativa em saúde. 11. ed. São Paulo: Abrasco; Hucitec, 1992.), by means of thematic analysis (Bardin, 1994BARDIN, L. Análise de conteúdo. Lisboa: Edições 70, 1994.), with the purpose of exploiting the material to determine the meanings or record units (or keywords), relating to the subject under question. In the case of the guiding question, after the exploration of the content, the following records were identified: income, family economy/family investment, self-esteem/personal appreciation, health, food, quality of life, safety, satisfaction, knowledge, tranquility, farmers' interaction and establishment in the rural area.

The next step consisted in the classification operation of the registration units identified, or categorization process. In this process, we listed two categories: operational categories, defined by the researcher, and empirical categories, born naturally from the conversation between respondent and researcher. Still using as example the guiding question, the operational categories were: income, family economy, self-esteem/ personal appreciation, health, food and quality of life. Consequently, the remaining registration units constituted the empirical category. The steps outlined above are represented in Figure 1.

In addition to the guiding question, the research tool also featured other open questions that have followed the same steps of content analysis. These questions are presented below in Box 1.

Results and Discussion

For the family farmer, to participate in the PAA means, in order of importance: income with a frequency of 94.83%, within the operational category; and safety with frequency of 70.69%, in the empirical category. Then the family economy of the operational category had 65.52% of frequency, in which farmers mentioned that the investments were made in and with the family with the income from the PAA, according to Box 2.

In general, most family farmers (60.34%) seemed satisfied with their insertion in the PAA, since the program generated a form of marketing with greater security, with payment of 70.69% for the sale of their products. Still regarding the frequency of family economy of 65.52%, farmers reported investments in agriculture, health and food. These, in turn, can promote security, tranquility, self-esteem and quality of life of this public and their families, as well as serve as a stimulus for interaction between family farmers that gained knowledge and are motivated to establish themselves in the rural area.

In Table 1, regarding the question can food influence health, all reported yes. However, 37.9% justified that food but can influence health positively and negatively. This fact can be explained because the program encourages diversification of food production with quality and in sufficient quantities to meet the demand of self-consumption and of the food bank. With that, the farmers and their families are consuming more varied food and may also contribute to the FNS.

Regarding the period of production of foods, most reported to produce throughout the entire year. The production and management practices appropriate to the cultures may result in production throughout the entire year, which in turn, can meet the demands of self-consumption and of the food bank.

Most farmers reported receiving information about health, and 25.9% received it through the food bank and other institutions and services, among them, Family Health Strategy units, the Rural Union, and the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company of the State of Minas Gerais (EMATER).

The question related to whether or not there were problems in the PAA-BA resulted in 77.6% of responses in the "no problems" category, representing the majority. This fact can demonstrate satisfaction with the program. Those who reported some problem cited: the payment delay in the first deliveries due to bureaucracies in the transfer of funds to the organs responsible for the management of the program; and the value of the payment of the quota that the PAA limits for each family farmer per year. According to (Cerqueira, Rocha and Coelho, 2006CERQUEIRA, P. S.; ROCHA, A. G.; COELHO, V. P. Agricultura familiar e políticas públicas: algumas reflexões sobre o Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos no estado da Bahia. Revista Desenbahia, Salvador, v. 3, p. 55-78, 2006. Disponível em: <Disponível em: http//www.mesteco.ufba.br/scripts/arquivos/at_ecoreg_05.pdf .>. Acesso em: 6 maio 2015.
http//www.mesteco.ufba.br/scripts/arquiv... ) and (Ghizelini, 2006GHIZELINI, A. A. M. Políticas Públicas de Segurança Alimentar como processo de intervenção direta na produção e consumo de alimentos no Brasil. In: CONGRESSO LATINO AMERICANO DE SOCIOLOGIA RURAL, 7., 2006, Quito, Equador. Anais... Quito, Alasru, 2006.), the main difficulties of the PAA concern the need for the farmer to belong to an association, the required documentation and bureaucracy of access, the need for standardization and quality of food, the lack of harmony between the timing of the program and the regional production, the seasonality of production and the lack of technical support.

Of the total sample, 50% of farmers wish to diversify their production, mostly to trade with the PAA, as other markets are not as attractive and are not as safe as the program. This may be due to the prices charged by the PAA, in relation to values that farmers receive from other types of marketing of foods. Studies with family farmers inserted in the PAA in two municipalities of the southern region of Brazil reported that farmers increased their production areas and the diversification of their food to market with the PAA, since they felt the amounts paid by it were fair (Vogo; Souza, 2009VOGT, S. P. C.; SOUZA, R. S. de. Mercados institucionais locais como instrumento de fortalecimento da agricultura familiar: uma análise do Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos na Região Celeiro - RS. In: CONGRESSO DA SOCIEDADE BRASILEIRA DE ECONOMIA, ADMINISTRAÇÃO E SOCIOLOGIA RURAL, 47., 2009, Porto Alegre. Anais... Disponível em: < Disponível em: http://www.sober.org.br/palestra/13/743.pdf >. Acesso em: 6 maio 2015.
http://www.sober.org.br/palestra/13/743.... ; Santos, 2010SANTOS, A. T. Agricultura familiar e programa de aquisição de alimentos: uma análise de sua implantação no Município de Ponta Grossa. 2010. Dissertação (Mestrado em Gestão do Território) - Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, 2010.). In the study by (Hespanhol, 2013HESPANHOL, R. A. M. Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos: Limites e potencialidades de políticas de segurança alimentar para a agricultura familiar. Sociedade & Natureza, Uberlândia, v. 25, n. 3, p. 469-483, 2013.), marketing with the PAA is an important alternative to increase the monthly monetary income of households. We also verified that there was productive diversification and stimulation in marketing with PAA, and that 60% of farmers have expanded their crop area and diversified their production, with the cultivation of new products for the PAA, and 40% did not expand and have not declared intention to do this, because its cultivation area was small, 15% by not having economic conditions, 15%, the remainder, and 10% for fear of discontinuity of the program (Hespanhol, 2013HESPANHOL, R. A. M. Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos: Limites e potencialidades de políticas de segurança alimentar para a agricultura familiar. Sociedade & Natureza, Uberlândia, v. 25, n. 3, p. 469-483, 2013.).

Most farmers and their families (77.6%) consume the foods produced to deliver the PAA-BA, justifying the consumption due to quality. Thus, family farming is related both to food safety and economy, and this, in turn, is linked to the subsistence of the family in Table 1.

Regarding the question "can the consumption of these produced foods help in health", all reported yes, with 39.7% of farmers justifying that they are good for health. Thus, the quality of food supplied to the PAA must be inextricably linked to the production and consumption of healthy foods for family farmers, their families and social assistance institutions.

As for the knowledge about the nutritional value of foods, most (32.8%) reported that they knew, conceptualizing the nutritional value by means of simple information such as the identification of some nutrients from the foods they produce, relating them to health benefits.

As for the consumption of food and family farmers, most (55.2%) reported not having changed after insertion in the PAA-BA. Of the 31% who reported change, the justification was that they gained new knowledge after insertion into the program. This may be due to the fact the family farmer have to participate in trainings, meetings, lectures and other activities promoted by the food bank during their stay in the program.

Regarding the question "if there was a change in the food produced", 63.8% reported not having changed. Of those who reported change, the most important reason was to meet requirements and/or adjustment to the food bank, Box 3.

Before the questioning of if there was a change in the form of production and/or handling of food after insertion in the PAA, the highest frequency response (51.72%) was higher requirement/adjustment to the food bank.

Conclusion

The study showed that, from the perspective of family farmers, some of the main goals of the program are being achieved, since satisfaction with the PAA due to improved income and family economy raises the possibility of investments in properties, agriculture, health and family alimentation in general. In addition, according to the farmers, the PAA provides security about payment for the marketing of their food, tranquility, improved self-esteem and quality of life, serving as a stimulus for farmers' interaction and their establishment in the rural area.

The practice of diversification in food production stimulated by the food bank generates higher quality foods and in sufficient quantities to meet the demand of consumption and marketing of surplus and may thus contribute to the FNS and to the health of farmers, their families and beneficiaries cared for by social assistance institutions.

The PAA had and has important contributions in the Brazilian countryside: rural participation in the development of the country, in the understanding of the role of the State and civil society, in the repertoire of collective action of social movements, in the formulation of projects, research and rural studies.

In conclusion: more research involving family farmers should be carried out in order to highlight their desires, needs and rights as citizens in search of a more just and egalitarian society. It is necessary that the PAA increasingly becomes a strengthening instrument of family agriculture, actions of health and food and nutrition security on a permanent basis, as proposed in the law that created it, i.e., programs that aim to food and nutritional security must contain a holistic approach with transformative potential in the health, social and economic spheres, targeting rural and urban populations as actors of interrelated and integrated actions that will no longer be paternalistic and fulfil its role to transform the mentality of individuals regarding practices of food production, marketing and consumption.

References

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