The article defines the rural industry in the municipality of Serra do Mel, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, on the basis of the methodology proposed by Sabbato (1999), developed to characterise the profile of family farming and its main production systems. The methodology for defining the rural industry proposed in this work makes it possible to identify, classify and financially assess the various industrial segments of rural properties, on the basis of the survival strategies put in place by the rural producers in the municipality. Although the municipality’s rural properties have a low degree of specialisation in industrial production, the degree of market integration of industrialised products is quite high; and their level of profitability; this integration and profitability is indicative of the economic sustainability of the activity. Despite considerable performance, the rural industry has low technological development, leading to low labour productivity.