Participation, viability and sustainability: dimensions of local development at an agricultural producers association

Abstract

The agribusiness unfolds in the rural Brazilian environment as one of the most efficient and competitive in the world but the rural poverty also blunts as one of the largest social blemishes for the society. The methodology applied was the study case, a milk producers’ association, comprehending some observation, semi-structured interviews and informal conversations. The study has evidenced that the association accomplishes several development indicators, job and income generation, access to rural credit, access to new technologies and important institutional partnerships. However, the association inclusion is still very limited to the associates and the social sustainability is fragile (there is an incidence of objective participation and low subjective participation), the administrative structure demands more attention regarding to the improvement intention. There is a possible social/economical instability in case of a competition incitation. However the reality is valid, provocative and highlighted into the region for the few associative enterprises successes and high level poverty, could be considered as an agent of great importance for the local development, but it still requires further preoccupation with the social side, with cooperative/associative education and more professionalism in the administration.