Innovations and novelties in building markets for family farming: the cases of the Ecovida Agroecology Network and RedeCoop

Abstract

This article discusses the social construction of institutional markets for family farming, placing emphasis on the "novelties" in practices, processes and forms of organization that are developed and used by family farmers to access public procurement programs and overcome some of its limitations. For that, the article analyzes two social experiences: the Southern Circuit of the Ecovida Agroecology Network and the Association of Family Farming and Solidarity Economy Cooperatives Network (RedeCoop). From documentary research and semi-structured interviews, the authors observed several similarities and differences in the social construction of markets and commercialization circuits in both cases. The main differences concern the fact Southern Circuit of the Ecovida Agroecology Network has a stronger role in the coordination and control of commercialization circuits, and presents a deep socially embedded set of institutions and principles organizing economic actors' interactions than in the case of RedeCoop. These differences result from the specificity of the products (agroecological foods) and the artifacts shaping the Ecovida Network. In both cases, the construction of commercialization circuits, aiming to connect family farmers to institutional markets, can be interpreted as a “novelty” that emerged from the actors' daily experiences and difficulties. The created institutions question the dominant regime and have the potential for radical change. The dynamics and characteristics of these markets and socio-material infrastructures indicate contributions to the construction of sustainable food systems.