This paper presents the analysis of the links between family farming organizations and rural development policies. The research was conducted in the municipality of Espera Feliz (MG). The results demonstrate that the adoption of family farm as an issue in public agenda was responsible for important changes in the performance of the Rural Workers Union (STR) of Espera Feliz with the adoption of collective devices used by farmers as a strategy for collective action. This organization adopted collective devices which began to be used by farmers as a strategy for collective action. It was possible to observe that these collective devices have undergone adjustments to their rules of reciprocity, constituting formalized institutions. Given the access to certain public policies, approaches with social mediators were created in order to optimize strategies developed by local organizations. This relationship, which becomes conflicting as there are divergences of collective orientations for development, can be classified as a relation of complementarity, normative domination or difficulties and tensions. In this set of relations, approximations between organizations and social mediators who work advising the farmer's organizations are built up.
Rural development; public policy; family farming; social mediators; normative domination
