“I DECIDED TO STAY": EMOTIONAL ASPECTS AS DETERMINING FACTORS OF THE SUCCESSION PROCESS IN IPIRANGA DO SUL/RS

Abstract

The obstacles to the succession process in family farming have been worrying families and instigating the academic environment for decades all over the world. The absence of successors generates uncertainties; on the other hand, successful family succession processes can serve as an example for the conduction of future processes in which the following questions are raised: Which aspects determine this success? What interferes in the children's decision for succession? Therefore, the present study sought to analyze the process of generational succession in family farming from the perspective of the successors. Methodologically, the research is classified as qualitative and the technique used for data collection was the semi-structured interview. Ten interviews were conducted with young successors intentionally selected in the municipality of Ipiranga do Sul, in the Northwest of Rio Grande do Sul. The results show that the determining factors for succession are linked to the love for agriculture and the desire for alternative income for the production unit; also, having participated in agricultural activities motivated them to remain in the production unit. On the other hand, the challenges of the succession process are linked to uncertainty, inherent to the agricultural activity, and to family relationships, such as power relations and differences of opinion.