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Abstract
he article discusses the phenomenon of pluriactivity in Brazilian agriculture, referring to the
diversification of economic and labour activities in rural areas, and pluri-incomes, referring to the diversification
of income
sources accessed by farmers and their families. Based on 2006 Agricultural Census data, an analysis
for Brazil and Southern and Northeastern regions of the country is carried out, trying to compare the so-called
“pluriactive households” belonging to family farming and non-family farming categories. The paper identifies
and quantifies these households; characterize them according to the type of pluriactivity and the labour relations
of employed persons; and identifies their distinct revenue sources, measuring the importance of each one in
the formation of total revenue. The empirical finding of a higher percentage of non-family farming households
classified as pluriactive (51.9%) than the family farming (34.1%) led to an intriguing theoretical question, since
almost all the studies in Brazil always considered pluriactivity as a phenomenon specific to family farming.
Although this question is only briefly discussed, the most significant result is that there must be an important part
of family farmers who, precisely because they are pluriactive, are improperly classified as non-family farmers
and, therefore, excluded from official statistics and possibly of the very public policies suitable for family farming.