The objective of the present work is to discuss about the role of public policies in the historic process of income concentration and poverty in the Brazilian rural territory. With basis in information about persons up to 10 years residents in rural areas from the National Research of Domiciles Sample (PNDA) for the period from 1995 to 2005, there was calculated the Gini and Theil (R and L) inequality Index, and the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (1984) and Datt (1998) poverty Index. The data and results bring the indication of the existence of the relation between the persistent condition of poverty of the rural population and the agrarian and economic policies adopted in the period.