Institutional food market operation in the context of the Vale do Rio Pardo-RS

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the operation of institutional food market in the context of Vale do Rio Pardo, through a case study of the Cooperativa Leoboqueirense de Agricultores Familiares - COOPERLAF. The starting point is the consolidated and predominant presence of the tobacco supply chain in this region, which involves consider the institutional food market (through the PAA and the PNAE) as a concrete possibility of productive diversification of family farming. It appears that the inclusion of family farmers in institutional food market through COOPERLAF is enabling the opening of new sales channels and income generation, reducing the dependency level in relation to tobacco production. Thus, from a conceptual perspective of repeasantization, it is suggested that the SAN public policies represent the opportunity for an endogenous regional development and, therefore, sustainable, in the Vale do Rio Pardo, based on the value of family farming as healthy food producers.