Abstract:
From the criticism of the modern productivist agri-food system, the alternative food networks emerge through a rapprochement between producers and consumers, which aims the rescue the interpersonal trust relationships. In these networks, the interest in organic food is highlighted. With this starting point, this paper presents an analysis of the trust forms adopted by the organic food consumers, using as a study case the municipality of Sorocaba (in the state of São Paulo). For this purpose, semi-structured interviews were performed, enhanced by data obtained via a previous online survey. As a result, there was a clear distinction between the consumers' trust forms, represented by the valorization of institutional mechanisms for organic recognition and the interpersonal trust relationships. On the other hand, the lack of clarity about what is organic food and its recognition mechanisms make room for an informal organic market to thrive, in which there are doubts about the organic quality, in an environment favorable to concealment and fraud.
Keywords:
alternative food networks; organic food consumption; organic recognition; trust; organic street fairs