COVID-19 and the fragility of Brazilian small farming resilience

Abstract

Goal: The paper aims to investigate the insights of the resilience mechanisms of Brazilian small farms facing COVID-19. Design / Methodology / Approach: The research path involves three cases studies: two small but relevant producers of fruit and vegetable and a cooperative of family farmers in Rio de Janeiro through semi-structured interviews and concept maps. We also made data triangulation using literature review. Results: We observed that the main challenges for resilience in agro business are: 1) tight budgets and difficulty in accessing credit, 2) Many producers are in an informal fiscal situation, 3) Lack of human resources, 4) Low-technology methods, 5) Difficulty in adding value to “raw” products. Besides, we have also identified a dangerous reduction in federal investments in family farming incentive programs in recent years, which may have worsened the weaknesses of these businesses in the face of COVID-19 Limitations of the investigation: Since this is a qualitative study for preliminary investigation of the topic through mental models, the sample of focal respondents was small (three cases). Practical implications: This study enables the analysis of the Brazilian small farms challenges to survive in times of growing uncertainty. Originality / Value: This research lays the foundations for future research to explore the underlying theory and practice involved, with the aim of creating resilient local supply chains.