Family Farming: An Activity of Resistance and Sustainability in the Municipality of Pinheiros, in the Far North of Espírito Santo

Objective: This article aims to highlight the importance of family farming as a form of resistance to the expansion of eucalyptus, rubber tree and sugarcane monocultures in the agricultural space of the municipality of Pinheiros, Espírito Santo.   Theoretical Framework: In order to understand this dynamic more broadly, a historical review of local agricultural practices was carried out, as well as a current characterization of the rural space of Pinheiros. The theoretical framework is based on the studies of Pretty (2008), Altieri (2012; 2018) and Borras et al. (2020), who discuss sustainable agriculture and socio-environmental conflicts in the countryside.   Method: The methodology adopted was based on documentary analysis from institutional sources, such as IBGE, Incaper and Instituto Jones dos Santos Neves, combined with fieldwork and listening to the narratives of a local farmer.   Results and Discussion: The reports revealed that family farming plays a central role in maintaining productive diversity, environmental preservation, and sociocultural reproduction in rural communities, configuring itself as a strategy of resistance against the advance of hegemonic production models.   Research Implications: It is concluded that strengthening family farming is essential to promote a more just and sustainable rural development that is rooted in the knowledge of the territory.   Originality/Value: This study contributes to the debate on the impacts of the expansion of monocultures on the territorial and social dynamics of the countryside, by highlighting the centrality of family farming as a viable and resistant alternative to exclusionary models of rural development. The research offers a critical and situated reading of the context of Pinheiros-ES, articulating local knowledge and academic analyses, which confers value both for the formulation of public policies and for community initiatives to strengthen agroecology and food sovereignty.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental

• Publication date

  2025-07-10

• Fields of study

  Not labeled

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.24857/rgsa.v19n7-020
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

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• No concepts are published for this paper.

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