Sustentabilidade Socioambiental: um estudo de caso na cooperativa de fibras vegetais, malva e juta, de Manacapuru no Amazonas

Abstract

The cultivation of jute and mallow is an economic activity of great value to the primary sector of the Amazon, the largest producer of vegetable fiber, jute and mallow, Brazil, which supplies fiber, wire and sacks domestic industries. The international and national panorama of plant fibers is promising. The main producers of the production chain of mauve and jute are located in the sub-region: Rio Negro / Solimões, middle and lower Amazon, especially the city of Manacapuru / AM, which concentrates the textile mills and major cooperatives, booster of productive chain. However, Amazon is still not self-sufficient in the production of plant fibers, and in recent years has suffered from a reduction in agricultural productivity. In this context, this study addressed as thematic social and environmental sustainability. The aim of the study was to understand the relationship between public policies for sustainable development and sustainability of mauve unions and jute Manacapuru / AM, through the case study of the Joint Agricultural Cooperative of Manacapuru - COOMAPEM in the 2010-2013 period. The contributions were observed in the period 2010 to 2013, the economic support policy for farmers in jute and mauve, and the policy for acquisition of seeds of mauve and jute in the Amazon. There was a description of the production process of plant fiber and jute mallow COOMAPEM from the perspective of the strengths and weaknesses of the cooperative, and was identified through socioeconomic profile of mauve farmers’ cooperative and Jute COOMAPEM elements for social inclusion. The methodology is guided in a quali-quantitative approach developed through bibliographic research, documentary research in IDAM, ADS and COOMAPEM. Thirty-four interviews with cooperative farmers and two interviews with the directors of COOMAPEM were held. The results indicated that public development policies are important for the sustainability of COOMAPEM, of members and hundreds of families who survive this culture. Being necessary the process of continuous improvement of public policies to support farmers in the production process of mauve and jute, either through technical assistance by government agencies, the more flexible conditions of access to credit, machine acquisition and equipment, in raising the value of economic subsidy, on the ease of acquiring mallow seeds and jute, the tax incentive in import protection, and the social security conditions of farmers. Finally, the Amazon gathered environmental conditions and human resources to become self-sufficient in the production of jute and mallow fibers, and contribute to the development and sustainability in the Amazon.