Políticas públicas e agricultura : estratégias governamentais para o desenvolvimento agrícola na ilha de Santiago - Cabo Verde

Abstract

This study aims to analyze public policies directed to the development of the agricultural sector in Cape Verde, specifically in Santiago Island. Due mainly to climatic conditions the agricultural sector has always suffered with some constraints both as regards natural resources as well as by their weak productive base. Agriculture in Cape Verde is characterized by extreme dependence on rains, which are weak and poorly distributed in time and space. Thus, it turns out to be a serious problem for the country, to the extent that agricultural production depends largely on rainfall does not guarantee food security for the population. In response, the government of Cape Verde in recent years has created some programs and action plans to develop this sector and to solve the problems that this sector faces because of their peculiar characteristics. For the accomplishment of this work 67 questionnaires were performed with open and closed questions, 60 of which were directed to farmers and 7 to government leaders related to the agricultural issue in Cape Verde. The technique of data processing used to achieve the objectives of the study was content analysis. The conclusions of the study reveal that despite all the efforts of the government in creating policies for the development of the agriculture, this sector still cannot fully play with all the functions assigned to it in the process of economic development. Such policies, by means of some government programs designed to benefit this sector has positive effects on living conditions of a small portion of rural populations, but it is known that there is still much to do to achieve these improvements not only for a small group of farmers, but for farmers in its entirety.