Rural development of municipalities in Minas Gerais, Brazil: determining factors and hierarchization

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the main factors that determine the rural development of the municipalities in Minas Gerais, Brazil, and to understand the similar and dissimilar inter and intra-group characteristics in relation to those factors. We selected 17 variables that include various dimensions of rural development (economic, social, demographic, political-institutional, and environmental). The results of the factor analysis reinforce the importance of factors: social aspects, sectoral public investment, political and demographic aspects, public policies for family farms, agricultural activity conditions, and environmental conditions. Cluster analysis reveals that 267 municipalities are in “very favorable” or “favorable” conditions of rural development, whereas 586 municipalities were gathered in “very unfavorable” or “unfavorable” classes. In conclusion, our results have shown the necessity of guidance from state action to municipalities that had unsatisfactory results, which surely contributes to the adoption of strategies by decision makers that address the specifics of the groups.