A influência de fatores sociais e psicológicos na adoção de práticas sustentáveis por aquicultores na Amazónia brasileira
Data
2022-04-19
Autores
Título da revista
ISSN da revista
Título do Volume
Editora
Resumo
A aquicultura é uma atividade em expansão no mundo. É vista pelas organizações internacionais, como a FAO, como uma atividade a promover no contexto do desenvolvimento sustentável. Fornece proteína animal potencialmente mais sustentável e saudável, respondendo a uma procura global por alimentos, em particular por fontes de proteína animal, que se prevê continuar a crescer exponencialmente nas próximas décadas. Coloca, todavia, desafios à sustentabilidade, nomeadamente a nível ambiental. O Brasil é um dos países do mundo que se confronta com este desafio face à grande expansão da atividade nos últimos anos. Um exemplo é a região centro-oeste da Amazônia Legal Brasileira. Esta região atraiu nos últimos dez anos grandes investimentos privados e públicos na aquicultura de águas interiores, gerando emprego e renda à população. Esta região, sobre a qual incidiu o trabalho de investigação desta tese, é um caso de estudo relevante no contexto do Brasil e do mundo, onde o dinamismo e a expansão da atividade se confrontam com as ameaças e riscos à sustentabilidade sócio-ecológica. O processo de decisão dos aquicultores na promoção de uma aquicultura sustentável na região de estudo motivou e estruturou a pesquisa desenvolvida por esta tese de doutorado. Assim, a questão central consiste em compreender o processo de tomada de decisão dos aquicultores em relação à adoção de tecnologias e práticas sustentáveis, considerando os fatores sociais e psicológicos envolvidos, bem como os aspectos relacionados com o contexto sócio-ecológico em que operam. Entre esses aspetos destacou-se a análise da influência do acesso ao conhecimento e a integração em comunidades de prática dos aquicultores. A implementação da questão central de investigação assentou na Teoria do Comportamento Orientado para Metas (MGB), permitindo compreender de que modo crenças relativas à inovação, o acesso aos recursos e ao conhecimento e o contexto social do aquicultor influenciam o processo volitivo que pode resultar na adoção de inovações e práticas sustentáveis. A investigação empírica foi desenvolvida em dois estudos. O primeiro aplicou as metodologias de Análise de Redes Sociais (ARS) e de Análise de Conteúdo (AC) para analisar a estrutura e conteúdo de uma rede social online (RSO), suportada pelo aplicativo WhatsApp, designada “Peixe de Rondônia”. O objetivo central era compreender qual a visão de sustentabilidade subjacente às discussões e partilhas na rede digital, e dar conta como esta visão informava a concretização de soluções para responder aos desafios da sustentabilidade da atividade. No segundo estudo, foi desenvolvido um questionário, posteriormente aplicado a uma significativa amostra de aquicultores, visando recolher informação que permitisse compreender de que modo os fatores viii sociais e psicológicos motivam os aquicultores para adotar inovações sustentáveis, concretamente, uma certificação de produção sustentável do peixe nativo. Os resultados do primeiro estudo mostram que a rede formada pelo grupo “Peixe de Rondônia”, com 220 membros ativos à data da pesquisa, é fragmentada e dominada por um subgrupo que representa cerca de um terço dos participantes. Esta situação, ainda que expectável em redes de grande dimensão e diversidade de interessados, mostra as limitações das RSO em se constituírem como comunidades de prática inclusivas e capazes de incentivar a ação coletiva. A análise de conteúdo mostrou, por outro lado, que o discurso e as discussões dos aquicultores são enviesadas pela dimensão econômica da sustentabilidade, ainda que estes evidenciem estar conscientes que têm de agir para assegurar a sustentabilidade ambiental nos seus empreendimentos; com efeito, esta é percebida como um garante da viabilidade da atividade no médio e longo prazo. Os resultados do inquérito, obtidos através de um modelo de equações estruturais, mostram que, mais do que as atitudes e emoções, claramente é a percepção de um contexto social favorável que motiva os aquicultores para adotar a certificação. Por outro lado, na evolução do desejo para a intenção para adotar, são determinantes os recursos de conhecimento, designadamente o acesso a redes (sociotécnicas) de apoio. O conhecimento obtido poderá ser útil em contextos geográficos similares, tendo em consideração a expansão global desta atividade, nomeadamente fora do contexto dos países ditos “desenvolvidos” com maior regulação e exigência social, relativamente às questões ambientais. A tese representa, assim, um contributo à concretização do apelo da FAO relativo à necessidade de aumentar a produção de alimentos proteicos, preservando o meio ambiente, num sistema alimentar sustentável e justo, o que exigirá uma nova abordagem à produção, distribuição e consumo de alimentos.
Aquaculture is a growing activity worldwide. It is seen by international organisations, such as the FAO, as an activity to be promoted in the context of sustainable development. It provides potentially more sustainable and healthy animal protein, responding to a global demand for food, in particular for animal protein sources, which is expected to continue growing exponentially in the coming decades. It does, however, pose challenges to sustainability, notably at the environmental level. Brazil is one of the countries in the world that faces this challenge due to the great expansion of the activity in recent years. One example is the central-west region of the Brazilian Legal Amazon. In the last ten years, this region has attracted large private and public investments in inland water aquaculture, generating employment and income for the population. This region, chosen the study area of this thesis, is a relevant case study in the context of Brazil and the world, where the dynamism and expansion of activity are confronted with threats and risks to socio-ecological sustainability. Aquaculture farmers’ decision to promote sustainable aquaculture in the study region motivated and structured the research developed by this doctoral thesis. Thus, its central question is to understand these farmers’ decision-making processes regarding the adoption of sustainable technologies and practices, bearing in mind the social and psychological factors involved, as well as the aspects related to the socio-ecological context in which they operate. In other words, this thesis will look into such aspects as farmers’ access to knowledge and their integration into communities of practice that provide them with a more holistic view of sustainability, in counterpoint to their "natural" focus on the economic sustainability of their business. The implementation of the central research question relied on the Theory of Goal-Oriented Behaviour (MGB), allowing for an understanding of how beliefs regarding innovation, as well as the aquaculture farmers’ resources and social context, influence the volitional process that may result in the adoption of innovations. The empirical research was developed in two studies. The first applied the Social Network Analysis (SNA) and Content Analysis (CA) methodologies to analyse the structure and content of an online social network (OSN), called "Peixe de Rondônia", supported by the WhatsApp application. The main objective was to understand if and how the participation of aquaculture farmers in this multi-actor digital network actually provides them with access to collective discussion and the design of solutions aimed at responding to the challenges of sustainability of the activity. In the second study, a questionnaire was developed and then applied to a large sample of x aquaculture farmers, aiming to collect information to understand the impact of social and psychological factors on their motivation to adopt sustainable innovations, specifically a certification of sustainable production of native fish. The results of the first study show that the network formed by the "Peixe de Rondônia" group, with 220 active members at the time of the research, is fragmented and dominated by a subgroup that represents about one third of the participants. This situation, although to be expected in large networks with a diversity of stakeholders, shows the limitations of OSNs in constituting themselves as inclusive communities of practice capable of encouraging collective action. On the other hand, content analysis showed that fish farmers’ discourse and discussions are biased because of the economic dimension of sustainability, despite their awareness of the importance of acting to ensure environmental sustainability in their enterprises in order to guarantee the activity's viability in the medium and long term. Through a structural equation model, the survey results show that, more than attitudes and emotions, it is the perception of a favourable social context that clearly motivates fish farmers to adopt certification. On the other hand, in the evolution from desire to intention, knowledge resources are determinant, namely access to support (sociotechnical) networks. The knowledge obtained may be useful in similar geographical contexts, taking into consideration the global expansion of this activity, namely outside the context of the so-called "developed" countries, with greater regulation and social demands regarding environmental issues. The thesis thus represents a contribution to the FAO's call for an increase in the production of protein-rich foods while preserving the environment within a sustainable and fair food system, which will require a new approach to food production, distribution, and consumption.
Aquaculture is a growing activity worldwide. It is seen by international organisations, such as the FAO, as an activity to be promoted in the context of sustainable development. It provides potentially more sustainable and healthy animal protein, responding to a global demand for food, in particular for animal protein sources, which is expected to continue growing exponentially in the coming decades. It does, however, pose challenges to sustainability, notably at the environmental level. Brazil is one of the countries in the world that faces this challenge due to the great expansion of the activity in recent years. One example is the central-west region of the Brazilian Legal Amazon. In the last ten years, this region has attracted large private and public investments in inland water aquaculture, generating employment and income for the population. This region, chosen the study area of this thesis, is a relevant case study in the context of Brazil and the world, where the dynamism and expansion of activity are confronted with threats and risks to socio-ecological sustainability. Aquaculture farmers’ decision to promote sustainable aquaculture in the study region motivated and structured the research developed by this doctoral thesis. Thus, its central question is to understand these farmers’ decision-making processes regarding the adoption of sustainable technologies and practices, bearing in mind the social and psychological factors involved, as well as the aspects related to the socio-ecological context in which they operate. In other words, this thesis will look into such aspects as farmers’ access to knowledge and their integration into communities of practice that provide them with a more holistic view of sustainability, in counterpoint to their "natural" focus on the economic sustainability of their business. The implementation of the central research question relied on the Theory of Goal-Oriented Behaviour (MGB), allowing for an understanding of how beliefs regarding innovation, as well as the aquaculture farmers’ resources and social context, influence the volitional process that may result in the adoption of innovations. The empirical research was developed in two studies. The first applied the Social Network Analysis (SNA) and Content Analysis (CA) methodologies to analyse the structure and content of an online social network (OSN), called "Peixe de Rondônia", supported by the WhatsApp application. The main objective was to understand if and how the participation of aquaculture farmers in this multi-actor digital network actually provides them with access to collective discussion and the design of solutions aimed at responding to the challenges of sustainability of the activity. In the second study, a questionnaire was developed and then applied to a large sample of x aquaculture farmers, aiming to collect information to understand the impact of social and psychological factors on their motivation to adopt sustainable innovations, specifically a certification of sustainable production of native fish. The results of the first study show that the network formed by the "Peixe de Rondônia" group, with 220 active members at the time of the research, is fragmented and dominated by a subgroup that represents about one third of the participants. This situation, although to be expected in large networks with a diversity of stakeholders, shows the limitations of OSNs in constituting themselves as inclusive communities of practice capable of encouraging collective action. On the other hand, content analysis showed that fish farmers’ discourse and discussions are biased because of the economic dimension of sustainability, despite their awareness of the importance of acting to ensure environmental sustainability in their enterprises in order to guarantee the activity's viability in the medium and long term. Through a structural equation model, the survey results show that, more than attitudes and emotions, it is the perception of a favourable social context that clearly motivates fish farmers to adopt certification. On the other hand, in the evolution from desire to intention, knowledge resources are determinant, namely access to support (sociotechnical) networks. The knowledge obtained may be useful in similar geographical contexts, taking into consideration the global expansion of this activity, namely outside the context of the so-called "developed" countries, with greater regulation and social demands regarding environmental issues. The thesis thus represents a contribution to the FAO's call for an increase in the production of protein-rich foods while preserving the environment within a sustainable and fair food system, which will require a new approach to food production, distribution, and consumption.
Descrição
Tese de Doutoramento em Desenvolvimento, Sociedades e Territórios
Palavras-chave
Sustentabilidade , Aquicultura