Public policies for adapting agriculture to climate change in semi-arid Northeast Brazil

Abstract

Analyzing public policies for agriculture and rural territories and their adaptation to the semi-arid Northeast conditions is a necessity and methodological challenge. For the French-Brazilian Network for Sustainable Development in the Northeast Semi-arid (ReFBN), studies in this area are particularly relevant.This collection brings together contributions that fall within the framework of the first specific objective of ReFBN: "to promote scientific and technical cooperation between Brazil and France for the resilience of semi-arid socio-ecosystems in the face of climate change."This book addresses the theme through a series of case studies that illustrate the complexity of the framework of public action for adaptation to climate change and its diversity in the agricultural sector.These case studies, therefore, bring a double enrichment. First, regarding knowledge, the analyses offer insights on different aspects of public policies for adapting agriculture to climate change and drought by analyzing their construction, the role of institutional actors, and their first effects.Second, regarding methodological, various approaches from the human and social sciences are mobilized. They draw on various theoretical frameworks from agronomy, anthropology, political science, economics, geography, and sociology. These approaches show and illustrate various critical analysis processes and monitoring of the instruments and mechanisms of public action.Public policies for adapting agriculture to climate change in semi-arid Northeast Brazil 7