Resumen

REICHERT, Lírio José; PADILLA, Mamen Cuéllar; GOMES, Mário Conill  y  CACERES, Rubén Sánchez. A socio-economic analysis of potato production in the municipalities of Sanlúcar de Barrameda / Spain and São Lourenço do Sul / Brazil. Rev. de Ciências Agrárias [online]. 2012, vol.35, n.1, pp.143-156. ISSN 0871-018X.

The municipalities of Sanlúcar de Barrameda/Cádiz in  Andaluzia/Spain and São Lourenço do Sul/Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil, have in common a food producer family farm  based-economy, among them potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). This crop is a socioeconomic and cultural development factor in both municipalities, considering that it is practiced by small farmers and their descendants that settled those areas. The study was motivated by an academic exchange, and had the objective of analyzing the respective production systems developed by farmers. Difficulties, challenges, production costs and alternatives to overcome them were assessed. To carry it out we used structured interviews with managers, technicians and farmers from both locations. In São Lourenço do Sul, twenty ecological potato growers were interviewed; ten non-ecological potato growing-families in Sanlúcar were also interviewed. We noticed that the habit of growing, family work and cooperative organization are a common initiative in both locations, although they use different systems of growing. We also found that both groups face technological, economic and environmental difficulties, but supported by processes of social articulation they are seeking alternatives to overcome them and providing conditions for potato growing.

Palabras clave : Agricultural cooperatives; ecological potato; family farming; production system; Solanum tuberosum.

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