Political debates and agricultural policies: Discourse coalitions behind the creation of Brazil’s Pronaf

Abstract

The literature on rural development focuses on the socioeconomic effects of agricultural support policies; the process of policy design, however, is devoted less attention. Identifying policy coalitions may help provide clarity on the motivations behind a given agricultural support system. Using Discourse Network Analysis, this paper studies the debates preceding the approval of the National Program for Strengthening Family Agriculture (Pronaf) in Brazil in the 90s. This represented a relevant overturn of the preceding policy framework. Two coalitions that opposed each other have been identified: while large farm business associations favoured measures to enhance productivity, movements comprising of family farmers aimed at introducing credit instruments for small producers. The strong pressure from social movements was key to the adoption of Pronaf. However, findings suggest that the Workers' Party, which found itself in a less conflicting position, played a brokerage role in the negotiation of the final policy package.

Understanding the Implications of Alternative Bioenergy Crops to Support Smallholder Farmers in Brazil

“…For instance, PRONAF came under the remit of the Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA) until 2016, the year in which the latter was replaced by the Secretariat for Family Agriculture and Agrarian Development, linked to the Office of the President. The abolition of the MDA, however, as well as of other agencies linked to rural development, has been viewed as signalling the progressive marginalisation of family agriculture in the highest echelons of government [77]. Turning to PNAE, school feeding falls under the remit of the National Fund for Development of Education (FNDE), a structure linked to the Ministry of Education.…”

As medidas econômicas frente à pandemia da Covid-19: mapeando o debate de política econômica no Brasil

“…Dessa forma, evidencia-se na literatura brasileira diversos registros, mapeamentos e análises das ideias econômicas involucradas nesses processos. Entre os mais relevantes estudos dos debates econômicos do século passado, por exemplo, encontramos os que abordam os rumos e características da industrialização brasileira (Fonseca & Salomao, 2017), as políticas agrícolas (Ghinoi, Junior, & Piras, 2018) e o desenvolvimento rural (Navarro, 2020), o relacionado à distribuição e desigualdade de renda (Hoffmann, 2001;Gandra, 2005) e à natureza e dinâmica da inflação brasileira (Coutinho, 1981;Simonsen, 1985;Bresser-Pereira, 1996).…”

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“…According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 2017 report, agricultural policies must incorporate the provisions for; food security, improving standard of living among rural dwellers, promoting sustainable production, providing monetary support to producers, training, information and innovation sharing system and physical infrastructure. Rural credit provision has been identified as an important component for agricultural support in developing countries (Ghinoi, Wesz Junior, & Piras, 2018). Chinese economic reform started with the agricultural and rural sectors as a bottom-up approach triggered by farmers' autonomous self-reform in the rural areas.…”