Análise socioeconômica de produtores familiares de caprinos e ovinos no semiárido cearense, Brasil

The objective of this study was to characterize and describe the socioeconomic profile of the system production of family farms that use goats and sheeps as components of household in the state of Ceara, Brazil. Data were collected from 120 interviews with family farmers producing goats and sheep during the year 2008, through a questionnaire that had social, economic, environmental and productive. To establish the typology were used multivariate statistical techniques (factor analysis by the method of principal component) and then used the non-hierarchical cluster analysis to identify homo-geneous groups and characterization of the sample of family farms. There were four groups (I, II, III and IV) family of small ruminants using as components in their production systems. The families identified in groups II and III were the main source of income activities related to land use and those of groups I and IV showed the external source as a central component of your finances. The average size of the family farms was 47.2 hectares (ha). 75.8 % of respondents considered themselves literate and 93.3 % were involved with some form of association. The production systems used by farmers were diversified in relation to the activities performed by the family in rural areas. The agricultural activities are carried on the properties related to the security of food production for self and family for access to local markets. The heterogeneity in land use resulted in different strategies to suit local circumstances, reflecting the internal dynamics and external to the property, with consequences for social reproduction of the family.