INTRODUCTION

1. SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND ADAPTATION: LOCAL STRATEGIES TO FACE CLIMATE VARIABILITY IN GUARACIABA - SC, BRAZIL. Michelle Bonatti1, Larissa H. I. R. Homem2, Marcos A. Lana3, Stefan Sieber3, Sandro L. Schlindwein2, Ana Carolina F. de Vasconcelos2, Luiz R. D’Agostini2, Alfredo C. Fantini2, Sérgio R.Martins Martins2Federal University of Santa Catarina, Research Group on Environmental Monitoring and Appraisal – NUMAVAM, Florianopolis, Brazil, The Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Institute of Socio-Economics-Muncheberg- Germany INTRODUCTION Guaraciaba (located in West of Santa Catarina State, Brazil) is a municipality being studied as an important reference about adaptation strategies development and improvement, key factors for rural development. The municipality has an area of 331.1 km2, with an estimated population of 11,000 inhabitants, of whom 60.5% live in rural area. There are more than 1500 families dedicated to raise cattle, swine, and to produce maize, tobacco and subsistence crops on farms with average size of 18.0 ha. In this study case, farmers and agricultural technicians developed the KIT agrobiodiversidade (agrobiodiversity kit), which contains different species of crop landraces (traditional varieties), usually better adapted to the region and probably more resistant to climate variability (specially drought). It is considering a clear initiative to adapt to extreme climate events. For this reason, a study about how the social-economic aspects and the familiar dynamic influences the adaptation process to climatic extremes events was carried out in this locations. METHODOLOGY • In this social structure study, the subjective nature of the theme demanded a mainly qualitative methodology. The aspects (questions) were used to organize semi-structured interviews to obtain the following data: • How is the organization of the rural family? • What are the techniques and activities that influence the adaptation process? • What is the social support network in Guaraciaba? • How is the history line of this families? • Inquiries about socio economic aspects investigated using SCAlamethodology. • Criteria to establish the number of interviews: • More than 30% of the families of producers of landraces seeds. • Data sufficient to show collective symbols and representations of the research social actors. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Economical aspects: the seeds of landraces are much less expensive than the industrial varieties, and in many cases they are obtained through an exchange system among the farmers. As important factor in the rural family economy stands out that households produce almost everything they consume (Table 1) Cultural aspects: the landraces are part of the traditions, and some varieties are being cultivated by the same family for generations as a heritage. As social support network to the community structure where neighbors are cited as references in the maintenance and dissemination of Landraces (Table 1) Environmental aspects: the landraces, though the lower yield, are more adapted to local conditions, require less inputs like fertilizer, are less affected by pests, diseases, sometimes resist to drought, and usually perform well in intercropping systems; As result, farmers don’t invest so much money in seeds and other agricultural inputs, and the production cost is relatively low, being very cost-effective. Farmers also relate that, although yields are lower compared with hybrid varieties, the yields of landraces are more stable throughout the years. Concerning the social structure, and despite the important role played by landraces in the local agricultural systems, the region is still characterized by a youth migration to urban centers. This situation is associated to complex relations networks involving not only land use or climatic changes, but also public policies that could improve life quality in smallholders areas. Table 1. Agricultural characteristics and family history of constitution ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under Grant Agreement N° 212492 (CLARIS LPB. A Europe-South America Network for Climate Change Assessment and Impact Studies in La Plata Basin). http://www.claris-eu.org/