Public Policies and Poverty in the Brazilian Semiarid Region: Lessons in Resilience and Adaptation in Facing the Climate Crisis?

The focus of this paper is the process of social construction of the goat milk market in the northeastern semi-arid region, using Economic Sociology as a reference, which understands that economic phenomena are social by their nature. In this sense, this contribution privileges a look at history, traditions, cultures, values, ideas, forms of association, networks of social actors, etc. In regions marked by historic poverty and the climate crisis, this issue gains relevance. Goat and sheep farming dates back to arrival of the Portuguese in Brazil in the 16th century, with these animals being seen as inferior compared to cattle, whose breeding is linked to social status. This is a contradiction, as the breeding of these animals is more adapted to the conditions of the semi-arid climate. This culture of devaluation and the resistance to change that it generates is confronted by a “network of enthusiasts” made up of researchers, managers, technicians and creators linked to a set of institutions. The federal government, through the Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos - PAA (Food Acquisition Program), has been developing Milk Programs for almost two decades in partnership with states, promoting markets for family farming products and food security. In this induced process, the construction of markets promotes the restructuring of social ties, expanding the list of relationships to which individuals were previously subjected to experiencing these practices. The procedural independence of public policy and the conquest of private markets by farmers also draws attention. Due to the rapidly worsening climate emergency conditions, the research allows us to reflect on paths that consider resilience and adaptation.