Agroecologia e agricoltura convenzionale a confronto. Un’analisi di sostenibilità socio-economica e ambientale nella produzione familiare di caffè in Brasile/Comparing agroecology and conventional agriculture. A socio-economic and environmental sustainability analysis in coffee smallholding production in Brazil

Andrea Pronti

IRCrES Working Paper from CNR-IRCrES Research Institute on Sustainable Economic Growth - Moncalieri (TO) ITALY - former Institute for Economic Research on Firms and Growth - Torino (TO) ITALY

Abstract: This paper aim at comparing agroecological and conventional practices for small coffee producers in Leste Region of Minas Gerais state (Brazil). Six production units have been deeply analyzed and compared in: income generation with price volatility, productivity, working conditions, product diversification, agrobiodiversity, cost composition, environmental impacts and forest conservation. The results show that agroecology practices help local small farmers in stabilizing and diversifying incomes, reducing production risks and improve working conditions. Furthermore agroecological practices both reduce the use of chemical inputs and improve forest conservation. According with the results of this study agroecology is a cost-effective and sustainable alternative of conventional monoculture agriculture for smallholder farmers of the examined region.

Keywords: Agroecology; Smallholder agriculture; Sustainability appraisal; Cost Benefit Analysis; Coffee; Minas Gerais; Brazil; socio-economic comparison (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q12 Q15 Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 22 pages
Date: 2017-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-env
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