organic production in the context of family farming in mato grosso do sul

This work aimed to understand and analyze aspects related to food production under an agro-ecological basis in the context of family farming in the Mato Grosso do Sul state, in order to characterize the profile of the producers and the current scenario of organic production and to identify difficulties in this segment as well as possible means and / or actions to mitigate or solve these difficulties, as perceived by farmers. Thus, the study was conducted in the period of 2012-2013 with 101 organic farmers in 22 municipalities of Mato Grosso do Sul and interviews were conducted with each identified producer. The results showed that the main difficulties mentioned are the lack of financial support for investments and difficulties in pest and disease control. However, farmers indicated the need for partnerships among farmers and claimed qualified, regular technical assistance would solve most of the established difficulties. Hence, it seems that greater effectiveness of public policies for organic agricultural can generate benefits to farmers as well as positive changes in this scenario.