Generational succession of family farmers in Brazil and in France: the importance of ecological farming

Abstract

The generational succession of family farmers and peasant was investigated in the Metropolitan
regions of Belo Horizonte (RMBH) and Paris known as Île-of-France (IDF). The literature
and the experience of the targeted farmers demonstrate that ecological agriculture (organic,
groecológica and biologique) is more valorizated and appreciated by the society than the conventional,
as result of a set of factors linked to the sustainable agro-alimentary systems. In
this condition, organic agriculture is presented with more future, under the perspective of the
generational agricultural succession, when the son of the farmer see the economic value,
environmental importance and the social recognition of its work. The results showed that the
apprehensions of the farmers of their importance had brought implications for the agricultural
succession of their children and, which manifest themselves in function of agricultural approach
(ecological and conventional) and the regional contexts.