Sistemas agroflorestais: uma análise dos impactos sociais

Abstract

The pursuit of sustainable food production has gained prominence in global debates; however, the implementation of practices based on sustainable management can generate varied social impacts on the agents involved, which require in-depth analysis and understanding. That said, Agroforestry Systems (AFS) can be a sustainable production alternative. Therefore, this dissertation aims to propose a framework for analyzing the social impact of production from agroforestry systems for rural producers and the local community in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Specifically to investigate the approaches and practices of applying Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) in agricultural systems, focusing on identifying methodologies, indicators used, and the main social impacts evaluated; and to identify the social impacts of agroforestry systems located in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, using the SLCA method/tool. To achieve the proposed objectives, a systematic literature review was conducted, along with an empirical study of agroforestry systems, to identify social impact using the Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) method, considering stakeholder categories (workers and local community) and their impact subcategories. The results obtained in the systematic review indicated that studies focused on food production systems, both agricultural and livestock, that investigate social impacts through Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) are still scarce in international databases (Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Scopus). This gap can be attributed to the difficulty in collecting primary data and comparing it consistently with secondary data, as well as reflecting the more subjective nature of the social aspects involved. While the empirical study, using the LCA-S methodology and primary data, showed that agroforestry systems (AFS) positively impact both rural producers and the local community, promoting perceived improvements in well-being, access to resources, health and safety at work, and living conditions. At the same time, they reveal important institutional weaknesses, especially related to labor relations, equity, and access to rights.