Analysis of family wine production systems, organic and conventional, in Serra Gaúcha-RS

Abstract

The rural development strategies, associated to the debate on family farms, have emphasized alternative ways of farming land to the territories of Rio Grande do Sul. In the Região Serra, it is significant to grape production, on the organic and conventional basis. While systems coexist, they show characteristics peculiar to the modus operandi of farmers. Thus, the research aims to identify which production systems presents the best results, since it can influence the adoption of one or another system. Therefore, the research has a quantitative approach, with exploratory objectives and procedures of gathering information through semi-structured interviews. Operationally, the classification of costs revealed a similar behavior in the distribution of costs in both production systems, with the largest expenditures are concentrated in fixed costs. In the conventional system, the gross, total and operational income is higher. Due to the peculiarities of agricultural production, the process of making decisions about how, what and how to produce is influenced by the availability of resources, the economic and financial objectives and the implications of these actions on the well-being of family members. So, identifying the condition closest to the ideal that conditions the farmer to adopt one or another production system may be one of the challenges.