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Abstract This paper examines the quality of life of organic and conventional soybean farmers in Brazil. We analyzed self-reported symptoms associated with exposure to pesticides and measured life satisfaction levels of the farmers. We applied three models to analyze the data according to the dependent variable distribution - dichotomy, Poisson, and ordinal. Questionnaires were applied to 62 and 139 organic and conventional soybean farmers, respectively. We found that the probability of organic farmers to report symptoms related to pesticides exposure was 59% lower than conventional farmers; and organic farmers had a 68% higher odds ratio for life satisfaction compared to conventional farmers. We conclude that organic soybean production has improved the quality of life for agricultural workers, while also enhancing the sustainability of rural areas.

Abstract In the last decade, water scarcity in Minas Gerais affected surface water availability, leading users to privilege the use of groundwater as an alternative source. The São Francisco River basin is one of the most important watersheds of the state, both for its spatial occurrence and for the preponderance of groundwater use. Due to water scarcity resulting from extreme drought events between 2009 and 2018, there was an increasing requirement trend for the licensing of groundwater abstractions. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the correlation between the increase in these requirements and periods of negative rainfall anomalies in relation to critical situations of water scarcity, defined by the State’s Normative Deliberation CERH/MG 49/2015. A direct relationship between negative rainfall anomalies and water scarcity and the increased need for groundwater use was observed, especially in the years between 2014 and 2018.

Abstract Sustainable forest management (SFM) can harbor different discourses on sustainability. In this paper, based on discourse theory, the main ideas, concepts and narratives that have been proposed about the SFM of the native vegetation of the Caatinga Domain (DC) were characterized. Three main speeches were highlighted: a) Bioenergetic SFM: emphasizes the production of forest biomass to supply regional energy demands; additionally, it seeks to contribute strongly to the reduction of deforestation and forest conservation; b) Silvopastoral SFM: seeks to offer alternatives to improve forage availability; c) Non-timber SFM: seeks to value traditional knowledge about biodiversity, to expand the ways of managing multiple species and strengthen strategies for coexistence with the semi-arid region. The existence of different discourses, together with the range of sustainable practices they present, offers the opportunity for policy change and institutional innovation.