UC San Diego

This thesis is an ethnographic case study of family farmers in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. I conducted my field research from July 2022 to September 2022, where I explored exchange rate preferences of family farmers. The location of Santa Catarina is important, given the predominance of family farmers in the state and their political engagement for the distribution of land. The exchange rate may be the most impactful pricing mechanism for any country. Some types of businesses may benefit from one type of exchange rate policy while other types of businesses may not, possibly creating tensions among different sectors in an economy. I chose to interview family farmers as the literature predominantly focuses on the manufacturing and finance sectors in developed countries, or only considers agricultural production that exports their crops. As such, this thesis argues for the disaggregation of the agricultural sector in the currency politics discussion. The exchange rate preferences of family farmers were somewhat mixed among organic and conventional family farmers. As my study continued, I spoke with a member of The Landless Labor Movement (MST) and observed family farmer solidarity that may have encompassed shared values and beliefs, which may have been exemplified by a newly constructed public market. Further research regarding family farmer solidarity and exchange rate preferences needs to continue to be conducted. With this in mind, I conclude with possible paths for future research that utilize the sectoral framework and consider concepts from American and British International Political Economy, and Latin American and American development theories.