Solidary Economy, Family Agriculture and Agroecology

The experience of the Armazém Terra Viva in Sorocaba-SP

Abstract

The consumption of organic food is increasing every year in Brazil and in the world. This fact has increased the interest and has given the condition of the farming families to increase their productive areas, to generate income and occupations of work in the field. The Sorocaba / SP region has also been marked by growth in both demand and supply. We highlight here the Solidarity Marketing initiative of Terra Viva Warehouse, which works in partnership with farming families. Aiming to strengthen production through agroecological assistance and extension (ATER), collective purchase of inputs and production schedules, the Warehouse also works to open markets and carry out logistics through transparency and fair prices, deconstructing the role of the middleman conventional. The goal of Terra Viva, guided by principles of solidarity economy, is to make both internal processes as open and democratic as possible, always seeking to dignify the work of the city team and the farmer in the field; expand access and democratize the consumption of organic and agroecological foods. Despite the operational and logistical difficulties and the lack of resources to increase the quality of the project, Terra Viva is now able to attend restaurants and food shops, groups that sell baskets, a food processing industry and participate in fairs.