Changes in food provision in rural spaces. A case study of smallholder families of Praia Grande, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Abstract

Historical records show that the food provision of rural smallholder families in Praia Grande from the late 19th century until the first decades of the 20th century was basically dependent on self production and was complemented by direct exchange (barter) with neighbouring populations. Gradually the growing commerce of livestock and horse drovers passing through the region and the increasing use of money as a token for exchange led to a diversification of the food produced. It also meant food consumption became more segmented (between social classes and between town and countryside) through differences in purchasing power. Nevertheless, the greatest changes in the dynamics of food provision occurred from the 1960s onward, due mainly to three factors: the expansion of large-scale agriculture (with a reduction in the quantity and variety of foods in local circulation); the growth of industrially produced foodstuffs (an influence of urban consumption); and restrictions on the use of natural resources due to the creation of two national parks in the area (the disappearance of hunting, fishing and gathering). The future of food production for these smallholder families will be challenged both by the capacity of governmental, non-governmental and private sector organizations to intervene in the rural economy and by the strategy adopted by the state for environmental conservation.