Debates about the effects of covid-19 on the dynamics of food systems abounded in the last years. Initial analyses projected major changes in these dynamics due to, among other things, the digitisation of markets. Based on data collected between 2020 e 2023 by means of direct observations and 64 semi-structured interviews with farmers, rural extensionists, public officials, and community leaders in the scope of a multi-case study, and in dialogue with the sociological literature on institutional change and social construction of markets, this article analyses grassroots initiatives of market digitisation in two regions (Litoral Norte and Médio-Alto Uruguai) of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Findings suggest that the pandemic promoted a barred window of opportunity for social movements' initiatives of alternative food markets. By the end of 2023, half a year after the World Health Organization declared “with great hope” an end to covid-19, it did not seem to be much hope for these initiatives. This is because neither the pandemic proved to be a “critical juncture” that opened the space for significant institutional changes, nor the challenging actors in the field were able to become “institutional entrepreneurs” of these changes.

Ce travail cherche à systématiser les dynamiques d'organisation des agriculteurs familiaux de la région semi-aride du Nordeste brésilien. La première partie analyse l'origine et les logiques des différentes formes d'organisation des producteurs à partir d'exemples dans diverses situations du Sertão nordestin. Dans la seconde partie, sont identifiées et caractérisées les principales séquences d'évolution de ces organisations, ainsi que les seuils et indicateurs de transition marquant le passage d'une situation à une autre. En conclusion le texte met en évidence la formalisation et l'institutionnalisation du processus d'organisation des agriculteurs de la région. (Résumé d'auteur)

Northeast Brazil, which comprises more than half of the country's family farming units, is threatened to lose almost all this huge work and production potential due to ineffectiveness shown for several public policies to insert those farm units into the market. The agricultural research system, as a provider of technical innovations, shares responsability for that situation, since it was not able to make farming systems more efficient and adoptable by final beneficiaries. Nevertheless, such situation begins to change in the region. Number of experiences with multidisciplinary and participatory methodologies, more adapted to local family farming demands, is growing quickly. As a consequence, more valuable results can be expected from family farming research. Three of these methodologies, described in this paper, municipal zoning, rapid appraisal of the marketing and processing chain and farmer-managed trials for technology validation are examples of the the research system efforts to attain higher objectivity. (Résumé d'auteur)

Ce travail étudie la construction collective des thèmes d'action et de représentation au sein de l'organisation des Syndicats de Travailleurs Ruraux (STR). Il se base sur le suivi des activités des STR dans diverses municipalités de l'Ouest du Parana et du Nordeste semi-aride. La première partie analyse la relation entre les thèmes de représentation du STR et la dynamique de l'agriculture familiale dans la région de Toledo-Parana. La seconde partie présente une caractérisation des modes de construction des processus de l'action collective parmi les STR les plus actifs en matière de défense de l'agriculture familiale au Nordeste semi-aride. Le texte conclut par une analyse du profil et du rôle des leaders syndicaux. (Résumé d'auteur)

A propriedade agricola é cada vez mais reconhecida como um objeto de estudo complexo. Isso se torna importante quando nela se intervém para fornecer um conselho de orientaçâo ou uma ajuda à gestâo, ou, num quadro mais amplo, no âmbito de um plano de desenvolvimento rural. Nos estabelecimentos leiteiros das frentes pioneiras da Amazônia, cuja diversidade de funcionamento é particularmente marcante, a modelagem da diversidade, graças à construçâo de tipologias, representa uma etapa importante para a organizaçâo do desenvolvimento agricola. A partir do caso das exploraçôes leiteiras no municipio de Uruarà, na frente pioneira da Transamazônica, foram identificados cincos principais tipos de sistemas de produçâo- de leite e trajetórias desses. A combinaçâo dessas duas tipologias levou a caracterizar as principais dinâmicas possiveis dentro da diversidade dos sistemas leiteiros, representando as principais evoluçôes entre os tipos de propriedades. Os resultados salientam a importância de fatores socioeconômicos na implementaçâo e desenvolvimento da atividade leiteira. Nesse contexto, as propostas formuladas devem favorecer a integraçâo da produçâo leiteira, a sua permanência e a melhoria das condiçôes de produçâo. (Résumé d'auteur)

This paper talks about the peasant characteristics of an important part of Brazilian family agriculture and their invisibility in terms of statistics or public policies. The first part analyses the history, the peasant¿s origins of family agriculture in Brazil. The second part deals with the political tentative to minor, to hide or until to turn invisible this family and peasant agriculture in Brazil. (Résumé d'auteur)