Mapping family farming in Brazil’s Midwest: Assessing socioeconomic and environmental factors for enhancing regional food security

Mapping family farming in Brazil’s Midwest: Assessing socioeconomic and environmental factors for enhancing regional food security

9781446294550

Food Security
10.9.25

English

17 pp.

338 Al12

Family farming represents a vital model of agricultural production where the family unit is directly engaged in managing and operating farming activities, encompassing agriculture, forestry, fishing, pastoralism, and aquaculture. This form of farming integrates economic, cultural, social, and environmental dimensions, contributing significantly to sustainable agriculture through practices such as crop and livestock diversification and small-scale production. Globally, family farming is responsible for approximately 80% of food production and plays a crucial role in ensuring food availability, one of the key pillars of food security. In Brazil, it is recognized as a strategic component of national food security policy and a means to promote equitable food access based on culturally appropriate and sustainable practices. The sector has been legally recognized since the 1990s, culminating in formal regulation in 2006, which established criteria for classification and access to public policies. By prioritizing family labor, income from on-farm activities, and landholding limits, Brazilian legislation reinforces the importance of family farming as a mechanism to reduce rural inequalities, support local economies, and minimize environmental impact. Family farming thus emerges as a cornerstone in the pursuit of sustainable development and the human right to adequate food.

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