Evolu o e diferencia o dos sistemas agrários nos Campos de Cima da Serra: origem dos pecuaristas familiares produtores do Queijo Serrano

The theme of this work is the evolution of agrarian systems in the region of Campos de Cima da Serra CCS), located in the northeastern area of Rio Grande do Sul. We seek the history of space occupancy, from its earliest inhabitants, the Indians, to follow the historical mode of environmental exploitation and understand how it evolved to its current structure, focusing on two specific goals: to find historical references realizing the production of Serrano cheese (QS), and searching for the origins of the family farmers of CCS. These family farmers are dedicated to beef cattle, in enterprises where the workforce is familiar, the predominantly agrarian structure is considered small for the activity, the economic rationality gives the priority to the social reproduction of the family. In CCS, an alternative to supplement the income of family farmers is the production of QS. In this study, we used as an analytical tool the Theory of Agrarian Systems, which allowed to reconstruct the history of the interaction of society with their natural surroundings, which showed that the QS is a cultural heritage of the CCS.