Sustainable Development in Agriculture and its Antecedents, Barriers and Consequences-An Exploratory Study

This study aims to understand Brazilian family farmers' perception of sustainable development in agriculture, its antecedents, barriers and consequences. To do so, qualitative, exploratory research was adopted, interviewing 23 farmers. For data collection, an interview script was elaborated followed by content analysis. The results showed that farmers perceived sustainable development in agriculture from 25 definitions. The study identified 19 antecedents of sustainability in agriculture; 20 barriers hindering sustainable development in agriculture; and 14 consequences of more sustainable agriculture. This research contributes to in-depth reflection about the meaning of sustainable development in agriculture, associated with its antecedents, barriers and consequences for agriculture. The results reinforce that conceptualizing and understanding what sustainable development is, is a process and this concept can vary from one context to another. This study aimed specifically to examine Brazilian family farming from the perspective of sustainability. (C) 2020 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study explores Brazilian family farmers' perceptions of sustainable development in agriculture, along with its antecedents, barriers and consequences. The research identifies various definitions of sustainable development, as well as factors contributing to or hindering it in agriculture. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of what sustainable development means in the context of Brazilian family farming.