Analysis of Sustainability Indicators in Irrigated Rice Production in the South of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the degree of sustainability in irrigated rice cultivation in the South of Santa Catarina state. Qualitative research with deductive method was carried out with 10 farmers from the study region. The SAFA (Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture) method developed by FAO was searched for the measurement. The results show a convergence between the research participants, who classified their properties as having a high degree of sustainability in the areas of social welfare and economic resilience and performing poorly in relation to environmental integrity and governance. When validating the aspects found with specialists in the productive chain, they also had similar orientations to farmers, except for the government agency, which justified the development of sustainability policies for the rice production chain. These policies are translated into the sector as actions that promote economic gains, thus achieving an optimized result when applying their policies in the field. The authors conclude that the degree of sustainability of the irrigated rice in the South of Santa Catarina state has relevant aspects when it directly affects the producer in relation to the legislation or the economic result; on the other hand, it is considered low in relation to the indicators that they value for transparency in the market.