POTENTIALITIES AND CHALLENGES OF A COLLECTIVE SPACE FOR THE MARKETING OF FAMILY PRODUCTION IN RIO GRANDE DO NORTE

Abstract

Given the challenges historically observed in rural areas, especially in family farming, the construction of markets for this
segment has become a fundamental and indispensable factor for its development. In facing these challenges, cooperativism and solidarity economy represent an alternative capable of changing behaviors, acting with their own rationality, and conditioning new habits, actions, postures, and rules. In Rio Grande do Norte, along the year of 2008, the Central of Commercialization of Family Farming and Solidarity Economy (CECAFES) was created, with the objective of potentiating the outflow of the state’s family farming production. Considering the relevance and the unprecedented nature of this Central, we ask ourselves: what is the importance of Cecafes/RN as a marketing channel for the permission holders - individual family farmers, associations and cooperatives - who are in the space? Therefore, this article has as its main objective to understand the potentialities of Cecafes for the commercialization of family farming products and the possible challenges. Methodologically, this study was based on documentary and bibliographic analysis, as well on the application of 17 questionnaires with individual family
farmers and farmers from cooperatives/associations and a semi-structured interview with the general coordinator of Cecafes/RN. The results of the research revealed that, after the brief period of operation of the Central, there is a satisfactory level of contentment on the part of the permission holders with the economic and intangible results achieved and with the insertion of family farming products in various marketing channels.