The construction of new spaces for the commercialization of products of ecological agriculture in Rolante - RS

Abstract

The work of approaching farmers and consumers was born of the partnership between servers of the IFRS Campus Rolante, Emater Municipal Office of Rolante and farmers and farmers of Rolante and neighboring municipalities, in November 2015, with the direct purchase of vegetable baskets. At the beginning of 2016 a basket delivery group was set up via whatsapp application. By the end of 2017, the group had 120 registered customers, totaling 800 baskets. From this initiative new consumers and farmers expressed interest in the theme of organic food, demanding an experimental edition of the Ecological Fair in the IFRS Campus Rolante. Due to its success, in early 2018 the fair was held every two weeks on the Campus. In the middle of 2018 the fair migrated to the center of the city of Rolante and until then occurs weekly. The production of food marketed at the fair is carried out by farmers and farmers in the municipality and also in neighboring municipalities. They are organized in a group called Jaracatiá. This group seeks the participative organic certification of its production. The consolidation of the Ecological Fair as a space for the commercialization of pesticide-free products has faced a number of challenges. The main obstacles are related to the lack of support from some sectors of the public power and the lack of understanding of the advantages of the practice of organic farming. On the other hand, when the fair is evaluated by consumers, the evaluations are positive and motivating.