Paradoxes and challenges of sustainability in family-based garlic production: a qualitative analysis based on the Triple Bottom Line concept in the Contestado region (SC), Brazil

Abstract

Family farming plays a strategic role in promoting food and nutrition security and sustainable rural development in Brazil. Garlic production in the Contestado region, Santa Catarina State, represents an agricultural activity marked by significant paradoxes and sustainability challenges. This study analyzes the sustainability of garlic production from the perspective of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework, encompassing its economic, social, and environmental dimensions. A qualitative, descriptive study was conducted in 2024 using semi-structured interviews with ten family farmers and six extension specialists and researchers, complemented by field observations and document analysis. The findings indicate that, despite the high economic importance and strong sociocultural embeddedness of garlic production, its sustainability is constrained by interconnected factors. Economically, the main challenges include high production costs, price volatility, and dependence on external inputs. Socially, garlic farming contributes to community cohesion and the preservation of traditional knowledge but faces challenges related to family succession and rural youth outmigration. Environmentally, limitations persist in the adoption of sustainable practices, particularly regarding soil management and reduced reliance on agricultural inputs. The integrated analysis highlights paradoxes between the economic importance of garlic production and its environmental constraints, as well as between its cultural significance and the fragility of intergenerational continuity. These findings suggest that enhancing the sustainability of garlic production requires integrated strategies that reconcile economic, social, and environmental dimensions through more coordinated public policies, broader access to appropriate technologies, strengthened extension services, and greater recognition of local production.