SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL PARTICIPATION COOPERATIVE FAMILY FARMERS IN THE ARID ZONE OF PARAIBA

The cooperative is a model of solidarity economy that seeks to maximize the predominance of labor over capital factor, this can consist of associated, independent producers or producers that make common production units (Oliveira, 2007). In agriculture the role of associations has relevance, given the difficulty that the farmer has to perform its activities. In this sense, the objective of this study is to analyze how the formation of cooperative association strengthened family farmers Wasteland of Paraiba. Data were collected through interviews with farmers and supplemented with secondary data analysis and non participant observation. The main results show that the formation of the Association for Community Economic Development, and Social (ACEDS) of farmers in the municipality of Lagoa Seca, PB strengthened these, so that the association presents positive results and was included in the Food Acquisition Program (FAP).