“Reflexões sobre diversidade e diversificação - agricultura, formas familiares e desenvolvimento rural”

Abstract

The discussion of the diversity refers to the more comprehensive issue about how heterogeneous individuals and social groups organize themselves and build mechanisms for distributing resources they produce. The paper addresses the diversity in an analytical and conceptual dimension from the contribution of Amartya Sen’s theory of capabilities and the sustainable livelihoods approach addressed by Frank Ellis. Secondly, the paper discuss the construction of the rural diversity from the historical process of agriculture diversification in Brazil. Finally, the article discuss the diversity of the familiar forms of work and production which are organized and reproduce their selves under the auspices of the tripartite combination of family, land ownership and economic resources, more generally identified in Brazil as family farmers.