THE DYNAMICS OF FAMILY COFFEE GROWING IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF PRIMAVERA, RONDÔNIA STATE, BRAZIL

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to understand the social and economic organization of coffee producers and their production in Primavera de Rondônia municipality, in Rondônia State, Brazil, considering the technical and scientific modernization of coffee growing in the Matas de Rondônia Geographical Indication (GI). The methodological procedures included a literature review; collecting secondary data from public agency digital databases; conducting interviews with coffee farmers using structured questionnaires; and organizing and tabulating the data in electronic spreadsheets for analysis and discussion of the results. Coffee farming in Primavera de Rondônia is predominantly carried out by family farmers, and, according to the study participants, the average area allocated to coffee cultivation is 2.8 hectares. Even with coffee farming's great capacity to generate income in small areas, farmers seek to diversify their sources of income with other agricultural and non-agricultural activities. With the encouragement of technical and scientific development, producers began cultivating clonal coffee, which requires the adoption of an irrigation system and other management techniques. Faced with difficulties in obtaining rural credit lines and the shortage of labor for harvesting, many coffee growers have organized themselves into rural associations to facilitate access to semi-mechanized harvesters. The modernization of Rondônia's coffee industry has enabled the creation of the Matas de Rondônia GI, offering family farmers an opportunity to increase the value of their product. However, it was observed that the GI is still unknown to coffee growers in Primavera de Rondônia.