The dynamics of innovation in family farmers living in semi-arid areas of Rio Grande do Norte - Brazil

It is argued that innovation is not only related to high technology or an intense degree of research and development; but that it is also highly relevant in the context of family farmers living in semi-arid areas. This article is aimed to characterize the innovative dynamics of family farmers in the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte and to investigate their contribution towards improving the livelihoods of families. For this research, 428 farming families were interviewed in the state of Rio Grande do Norte from June to August 2018. The results show that the families are innovative, the main innovation was new ways in which they plant, and the innovations were later fostered by the local government. The region has an innovative potential and if there were greater incentives - such as technical assistance services and rural extension - and a more favorable environment, de degree of innovation in the region would be greater.