As atitudes dos agricultores face à política agrícola comum e ao projecto de regadio de alquev

Abstract

O principal objectivo deste artigo é conhecer as atitudes dos agricultores face à produção agrícola, ao apoio político e ao projecto de rega de Alqueva numa micro-região mediterrânica do Sul de Portugal, no contexto da Política Agrícola Comum (PAC) de 2003 e do Health-Check. Simultaneamente, pretende-se conhecer as intenções comportamentais destes agricultores frente à inovação tecnológica e ao futuro regadio público neste contexto político. Os resultados destacam que a grande maioria destes agricultores constituem um grupo relativamente homogéneo face às suas atitudes. Este cluster mantém uma mentalidade muito produtivista, um forte desejo de manter um foco agrícola, rejeitando veementemente noções de liberalização política. Apesar de possuírem elevada capacidade inovadora e de estarem conscientes da importância do seu contributo na defesa do mundo rural, reconhecem que as futuras condições institucionais da PAC, do fornecimento da água do regadio de Alqueva e das condições de acesso ao crédito, lhes poderá comprometer os seus planos inovadores no futuro. Por isso, conclui-se que é necessário compreender as especificidades da agricultura regional nos diversos países da União Europeia para que as políticas tenham êxito local. No caso português, são necessários estudos mais abrangentes de forma a encontrar resultados mais consistentes.<br>The main purpose of this paper is to know farmer' attitudes face to the agricultural production, the political support and the irrigation project of Alqueva in the context of the 2003 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform and the Health-Check, in a micro-region located near the Mediterranean Sea, in the Southern region of Portugal. At the same time, this paper also aims to understand the behavioural intentions of farmers face to the technological innovation and the future of the irrigation project in this political context. Results show that the majority of farmers are a relatively homogeneous cluster about their attitudes and behavioural intentions. These farmers still maintain a productivist mindset, a strong wish to maintain an agricultural focus and they strongly reject the notions of policy liberalisation. Although they have a great potential of innovation and being aware of the importance of their contribution in the protection of the rural environment, they recognize that the future CAP, the water supply irrigation price and the conditions of access to agricultural credit, could compromise their innovation capacity in the future. The conclusions suggest that it is necessary to understand the particularities of a regional agriculture in different countries in the European Union so the policies can take place successfully. In the Portuguese case, more comprehensive studies are necessary in order to find more consistent results

Insights from over 30 years of common agricultural policy in Portugal

“…Dos Santos et al (2011) and Guerra et al (2016) studied the importance of adjusted policies for local specificities for southern Portugal. Pinto-Correia (2000) concluded the need for an integrative approach and more effective use of available support in Portuguese agriculture.…”

Reducing Poverty by the Management of Social Innovation

“…Studies from Santos (2011) suggest that the Behavioral Determiners treated by Bogozzi (1981), cited by Beedell & Rehman (2000), affirm that past investigations of the farmers' motivations are subjective. It is doubtful if this study format can be applied to the social actors in ecotourist sites, since it emphasizes the use of the Planned Behavioral Theory, derived from the Rational Behavioral Theory of Ajzen and Fishbein (2000).…”