Agricultura familiar do município de Santa Rosa/RS, entre a produção e a legislação ambiental: limites e possibilidades

Abstract

Since the Industrial Revolution economic development is based on the use of natural resources and nonrenewable resources, causing environmental impacts and loss of biodiversity, causing problems to human beings as a whole. Given this issue have been raised debates about the need for environmental preservation and environmental sustainability as a guarantee of self-perpetuation and preservation of mankind. Thus, it is essential that work is done on all levels, promoting dialogue and ways to get the information from all parts of society, so that each person creates an environmental awareness and promotes the end environmental of the process degradation. The Brazilian Environmental Legislation contains the laws and rules that are intended to ensure the maintenance of biodiversity and environmental conservation on farms through the Legal Reserve (RL) and the Permanent Protection Areas (APP's). This essay discusses how the family farmers of the municipality of Santa Rosa/RS ensure their social and economic development, adapting and changing their way of life according to the demands of environmental legislation. Based on the analysis of ethnographic method, participant observation and application of semi-structured interviews was found that the enforcement of environmental legislation by the family farmers have some limits: the partial knowledge or ignorance of the existing regulations in the Forestry Code, the lack of information, in terms of normative or the possibilities of management of these areas and the imposition of restrictions lead to decrease the potential use of the property, and thereby, turn smaller the usable area. However, the perception about the importance and necessity of preserving and conserving the environment for quality of life is present in all the speeches of the farmers interviewed. Environmental legislation should be seen as complementary in building awareness focused on sustainability. In order to promote sustainable development requires that all individuals and sectors of the society have access to information, environmental education whether formal or informal, as well as courses for use of harmonious production practices with the environment. Besides, to attempt alternatives to the family farmers to reconcile environmental conservation and production on their properties, this is only possible if the procedures adopted promote economically viable alternatives. This guarantee the quality of life with regards this generation and future generations as well as environmental sustainability that are both currently searched, and value family farmers, promoting rural development, quality of life and well-being of rural households.