Productive dynamics and financing of agriculture in the Metropolitan Region of Belém, Amazon, Brazil
Family farming, Socioeconomic analysis, Rural credit.
Since its inception, agriculture has been associated with rural areas, giving an urban area an exclusive role as a consumer of agricultural production from the countryside, however, over the years, agriculture has gained notoriety in urban and peri-urban areas. The Metropolitan Region of Belém (RMB) has been experiencing disorderly population growth, with high levels of poverty and unemployment, so agriculture in the metropolitan region of Belém appears as an opportunity for many families, contributing with quality food, acquisition close to the consumer center. It also plays an important role for the population, ensuring the occupation of labor, income, food security, preservation of biodiversity and the best use of spaces. Although it has its economic, social and environmental relevance, it appears that the activity, very often, does not have public policies that correspond to the needs of the population. Thus, the research problem is defined according to the following question: What is the current socioeconomic situation of agricultural activity in the metropolitan region of Belém do Pará – PA? Therefore, this research analyzed the characteristics of agriculture developed in the Metropolitan Region of Belém, with a focus on socioeconomic aspects and rural credit concession. To carry out the research, data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and the Central Bank of Brazil (BACEN) were used and the analyzes were performed using the Microsoft Excel program. Therefore, it was found that the metropolitan region of Belém has as main agricultural economic activity the cultivation of Açaí and Cassava and the municipality with the highest concentration of rural credit was Castanhal. In addition, the need to promote public policies that encourage agriculture in urban areas and facilitate access to credit for a greater number of farmers was observed, contributing, above all, to their development and better quality of life.