The inclusion of technical innovations in rural areas changes the survival mode of the farmer
and the productive dynamics, reflected the logic of family farming advantage environmental
and socioeconomic impacts. In this context, the use of water in the agricultural production
process illustrates these impacts, the implications of which put to the test sustainability
through duality: rational demand and the appropriate quality of water resources, surface (use
of river water); or underground (use of well water). Therefore, the aim of this study is to
assess the sustainable use of water in the production process of family production units (FPU)
that have implemented agroforestry system (AFS) as a technical innovation. The FPU
investigated are inserted in the municipalities of Igarape-Açu and Marapanim, northeastern
Para state, members of Earth Roots project, funded by Embrapa Amazônia Oriental.
Therefore, we adopted as initial hypothesis that the insertion of AFS must offer minimally
adequate quality and rational use of water used in the production process as well as providing
positive impacts on the environmental dimension, social and economic. In this sense, the
methodology was drawn from the three stages of compliance: (I) characterization of water
use, a questionnaire of open type being applied to identify: funding source and intended use;
and perceived by the farmer on scarcity, grants and quality; (II) application of Ambitec-Agro
system, the final product was impact factors in the environmental, social, economic; (III)
establishing and quantifying impact coefficients in the quantity and quality of water, with the
inclusion and analysis of physical and chemical parameters, bacteriological and Salmonella.
Verification of the initial hypothesis was checked by a t-test. The features most of the FPU
were the underground source of water abstracted is used in the production process and for
their own consumption, from the pumping of groundwater wells; even without the science of
grant, some farmers did derivations and natural course of the bus of the rivers that cross their
properties, and frequent drought period may reflect these actions. In general, farmer's
perception of the quality was associated with color, odor and taste. Applied Ambitec-Agro
system, FPU indicated positive impacts in all dimensions; however, negative impacts on the
environmental dimension were verified in the UPF. The amount of the impact coefficient was
negative in all FPU, suggesting that there was an unreasonable demand for water. The
presence of Salmonella in some FPU contributed to the impact coefficient as has classified
water as minimally adequate. Although the initial hypothesis has been rejected, indicating an
irrational demand and inadequate water quality; AFS insert the was not associated as an
untenable alternative. Thus, unreasonable demand was due to increased water consumption
for irrigation due to a decrease in the area of cultivation, since volumes of water after the AFS
remained constant. The inadequacy of water quality was directly related to some FPU still
used pesticides and use of fire; and have watering livestock and nearby toilets funding sources
of water.
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