Abstract:
We show the importance of alternative marketing channels of the Family Farming (FF) sector as a tool for rural development, revealing an alternative marketing experience for family producers in La Matanza, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina: the “Producer Consumer Fair: food sovereignty enters the classroom”, at the National University of La Matanza. We apply qualitative methodology with ethnographic field work (interviews with traders, extension agents, visitors and consumers, and observations made during editions of the fair and meetings of the assembly of traders). We also use secondary data from bibliographic sources and national statistics on FF and fairs in Argentina. We discuss rural development in Argentina and the strategic functions of commercialization in the FF. We describe the situation of the FF fairs in Argentina and analyze the experience presented. We conclude that this productive sector, despite its relative informality, must be considered for its economic contribution to national development and its fundamental role as a provider of food to the domestic market. These farmers require differential policies that consider their particular characteristics. On the other hand, we recognize that these fairs contribute to rural development as a powerful alternative marketing instrument for the sector, improve exchanges between actors, reflected in the increase in social capital.
Keywords:
marketing; family farming; rural development