Alternative versus conventional: an analysis of the insertion of peri-urban family farmers in marketing channels in the city of São Luís / MA

Abstract

This article analyze the different marketing chains (alternative, conventional or institutional) used by peri-urban family farmers, located in the rural Cinturão Verde community, municipality of São Luís (MA), in order to verify the extent to which the dimensions of alternativeness and conventionalization are manifested in these chains, discussed based on aspects such as the establishment of trust relationships, the role played by intermediaries, the definition of prices and the question of quality criteria of products sold. To achieve this objective, in the year of 2018, interviews were conducted with 10 farmers, with the coordinator of a fair and managers of public marketing policies. The results and conclusion show that fairs, generally coordinated by external players of the community, place themselves in a quest to sustain their alternativity through the attempt to differentiate themselves from conventional chains and keep greater proximity between producer and consumer. In contrast, the rules created are not always accepted by participating farmers, who access at the same time conventional chains, with that, it becomes difficult to establish a limit between both commercialization accessed channels, whether these are more conventional or more alternative, considering that the Cinturão Verde farmers in their marketing process seek first to achieve better yields and guarantee the social reproduction of their families.