Finance, Markets and Valuation

DOI: 10.46503/YLLA4664

Corresponding author

Rosislene de Fátima

Fontana

Received: 21 Feb 2021

Revised: 19 Apr 2021

Accepted: 20 Apr 2021

Finance, Markets and

Valuation

ISSN 2530-3163.

Finance, Markets and Valuation Vol. 7, Num. 1 (January-June 2021), 13–21

Farmers’ market as an alternative for strengthening

sustainable practices: a study in the city of Marechal

Cândido Rondon – Paraná

Feria libre como alternativa para fortalecer prácticas

sostenibles: un estudio en el municipio de Marechal

Cândido Rondon - Paraná

Rosislene de Fátima Fontana

, Raphael Miranda Medeiros Cruz

Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (Unioeste). Foz do Iguaçu, Brasil. Email:

rosislene.fontana@unioeste.br

Instituto Federal do Paraná (IFPR). Foz do Iguaçu, Brasil. Email: raphael.cruz@ifpr.edu.br

JEL: Q12

Abstract

This study addresses farmers’ market as an alternative for sustainable development, within the social

conjuncture of family agriculture and its productive system. Farmers’ markets strengthen the bonds

between urban and rural spheres, allowing the family farmers to ﬁnd in this activity an opportunity to

strengthen the local market. This research aims to analyze farmers’ market as an alternative for the

strengthening ofsustainablepracticesin the cityof Marechal Cândido Rondon–PR. This isa bibliographic

and documentary study, with a descriptive exploratory approach, contemplating the relationship be-

tween sustainability, rural development, family agriculture and rural markets, more precisely farmers’

market in the urban environment, complemented by a case study, with ﬁeld research and application

of a structured questionnaire with open and closed questions for the producers and organizers of the

market. Thus, it was emphasized that farmers’ market really is composed of exhibitors, mostly farmers

and family farmers, that can also be considered as a business alternative for family farming, acting as a

driver for sustainable rural development, since it generates income and expands the opportunity to oer

the commercialized products, bringing not only ﬁnancial, as well as social and environmental return for

the family farmer.

Keywords: Family Agriculture; Short Chains; Sustainability; Rural Development

Resumen

Este estudio aborda, en el contexto social de la agricultura familiar y su sistema productivo, los merca-

dos abiertos como alternativa para el desarrollo sostenible. Las ferias fortalecen los vínculos entre lo

urbano y lo rural, permitiendo que el productor rural de agricultura familiar encuentre en esta actividad

una oportunidad para el fortalecimiento económico del mercado local. Esta investigación tiene como

objetivo analizar el mercado abierto como una alternativa para fortalecer las prácticas sostenibles en

How to cite: Fontana, R. F. and Cruz, R. M. M. (2021) Farmers’ market as an alternative for strengthening

sustainable practices: a study in the city of Marechal Cândido Rondon – Paraná.

Finance, Markets and Valuation 7(1), pp. 13–21.

Finance, Markets and Valuation Vol. 7, Num. 1 (January-June 2021), 13–21

el municipio de Marechal Cândido Rondon - PR. Se trata de un estudio bibliográﬁco y documental, con

enfoque exploratorio descriptivo, que contempla la relación entre sostenibilidad, desarrollo rural, agri-

cultura familiar y ferias rurales, más precisamente ferias libres en el medio urbano, complementado con

un estudio de caso, con investigación de campo y aplicación de un cuestionario estructurado con pre-

guntas abiertas y cerradas para productores y organizadores de la feria. Por ello, se enfatizó que el libre

mercado está realmente compuesto por expositores y mayoritariamente productores rurales y agricul-

tores familiares, que el libre mercado también puede ser considerado como una alternativa empresarial

para la agricultura familiar, actuando como motor de desarrollo rural sostenible, ya que genera ingresos

y amplía la oportunidad de ofrecerproductos comercializados, generando beneﬁcios no solo ﬁnancieros,

sino también sociales y ambientales para los agricultores familiares.

Keywords: Agricultura familiar; Cadenas cortas; Sustentabilidad; Desarrollo Rural

1 Introduction

Nowadays, discussions about family farming have gained social, political, and academic le-

gitimacy in Brazil, being used more frequently in the discourses of rural social movements,

government agencies and by segments of academic thought (Schneider, 2003). The fundamen-

tal idea of the discussion was to examine, within the social set of family agriculture and its

productive system, the tools that interact with regional development. Thus, pluriactivity within

the organization of family work proved to be an economic and social source for the rural world

to explore alternatives to strengthen its bonds with the land and society in general.

It is essential to value events in the form of farmers’ market, with direct sale of food, within

the participatory universe of family farming, and the possibility to directly show their work, in

favor of the social recognition as the main supplier of safe and healthy food with the minimum

possible intermediation.

The history of the Western Region of Paraná shows interest in its movements and develop-

ments, being the object of study of many scientists and academics. The integration of man

and nature strengthened this region, establishing a series of ancient practices developed in

this territory, such as agriculture, leisure, ﬁshing, and tourism (Cruz, 2018). In this sense, this

research seeks to know the true participation of the ﬁeld man in the farmers’ market, having

as object of study the city of Marechal Cândido Rondon – PR. To do so, this research aims to

analyze farmers’ market as an alternative for the strengthening of sustainable practices in the

city of Marechal Cândido Rondon – PR.

The article is structured beyond this introduction as follows: Section 2 presents the the-

oretical basis of the research; in Section 3 the methodological arrangement of the research

is described; Section 4 present the case study carried out, with the respective analyses and

discussions and; in Section 5 there are the conclusions obtained in the present research.

2 Theoretical Foundation

The rural areas have two distinct characteristics that dier between the large producer with little

diversiﬁcation of planting and focused exclusively on economic development; and the small

producers (family farming) (Cruz & Fontana, 2018), who aim at diversifying their production, to

maintain their ﬁelds.

In Brazil millions of small producers make up family farming. This a growing and important

sector, which produces most of the food that is consumed by Brazilians, contributing to job

creation, income generation and distribution, reducing the rural exodus (Damasceno, Khan, &

Rosislene de Fátima Fontana and Raphael Miranda Medeiros Cruz 14

Finance, Markets and Valuation Vol. 7, Num. 1 (January-June 2021), 13–21

Lima, 2011). According to Abramovay (1992), the management, property and most of the work

in family farms come from people who maintain blood or marriage ties with each other.

The challengein familyfarmingis to improvetheir capacityof social interaction andinsertion

in local markets (school meals, social programs) in a context of “quality economy” that may be

in the supply of traditional, artisanal or regional products (Schneider, 2010).

According to (Gazolla & Schneider, 2017), agricultural-food supply chains can be under-

stood by the willingness of the involved parties in building a new form of interaction between

production and consumption, with the goal of rescuing identity and origin of products, based

not only on price criteria, but also on social, cultural, ethical, and environmental values. With

this, the authors deﬁne short chains as a central dimension of the economy of proximity and

interactions between space and activity. Among the limits of necessity and subsistence, the

entry into specialized production systems, an interesting combination of various arrangements

is identiﬁed, from typical self-consuming activities, exchanges between neighbors, direct sales

and activities that incorporate formal commercialization and distribution circuits, to those

related to agrobusiness, through integration contracts (Cruz, 2018).

The main short chains are identiﬁed with direct sales in properties, local markets, farmers’

shops, farmers’ markets, door-to-door sales, direct harvesting by consumers in production

units, e-commerce, sharing food production risks between consumers and producers, collective

consumer groups, and various associations between producers and consumers (Gazolla &

Schneider, 2017).

At ﬁrst, short chains were understood as a strategy of peasant resistance, against global-

ization and its agricultural-food system (van der Ploeg et al., 2000). Then, a motivated current

of urban consumers emerged, seeking natural, fresh and non-pesticide food –organic food–,

strengthening local markets, valuing farmers, their cultural values and traditional preparation

(Gazolla & Schneider, 2017). Recent studies in Brazil and Europe indicate the increasing com-

mercialization of food from family farms as an alternative to the agricultural-food system (Cruz,

2018; Gazolla & Schneider, 2017).

The marketing channels of family farming products can be classiﬁed as direct sales to

the consumer, vertical integration with the processing agribusiness, sales to the distribution

sector and institutional markets (Pierri & Valente, 2010). They also point out that direct sales

can be operations of direct delivery to the ﬁnal consumer by the producer: home deliveries,

online sales, farmers’ markets, specialized markets, promotional commercial events, stores,

producer’s counter or food stand, and even sales made on the property (Pierri & Valente, 2010).

In this sense, the dynamics and opportunities of the processed food commercialization by

the family farmers themselves are important factors to expand the knowledge on the strategies

of family agriculture reproduction. They also demonstrate a chance to drain their production

excess through short chain sales (Cruz, 2018).

Direct sales between farmers and ﬁnal consumers are considered the main channel of

agribusiness food distribution because these sales usually occur in the agribusiness itself, on

the streets, workplaces, home delivery, producer markets, among other alternative points of

direct sale (Gazolla & Schneider, 2017).

The commercialization carried out in urban and rural markets, festive events, local ex-

hibitions, among other events of this nature, encourage the relationship of ﬁeld and urban

production. It is a short chain phenomenon due to the proximity of the relationships between

the subjects and their formal and informal sale channels, in a mixture of situations between

regulatory institutions (Gazolla & Schneider, 2017).

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Finance, Markets and Valuation Vol. 7, Num. 1 (January-June 2021), 13–21

From the perspective of opportunities, rural sustainability, and guarantee of social appreci-

ation, the pluriactivity present in these markets ensures economic and social development,

through the strengthening of short chains, especially in markets oered by family agriculture

–a positive alternative to society in general.

(Souza & Elesbão, 2011) suggest that the reasons for developing a viable rural territory

involve environmental, sociocultural, and economic aspects. They include guarantee and

reliability of the produced food, preservation of natural resources and biodiversity and, mainly,

the preservation of a speciﬁc culture, distinct from the globalizing trends of most urban areas.

According to Flores (2002), strengthening as a social, economic, and political expression

means rediscussing the development model of the rural world, with all its impacts on the urban

area. Since family production is the main economic activity of several Brazilian regions, it needs

to be strengthened, because the potential of family farmers in creating jobs and income is very

important.

Farmers’ markets oer the opportunity to trade on an increasing scale, which provides the

production development, establishing networks between producers and consumers (Matias,

2001). Farmers’ markets promote commercial activity, serving as an opportunity to sell their

agricultural production and guarantee an increase in income.

Therefore, this research is in line with the recommendations of the authors presented

here, as it reinforces the importance of farmers’ markets as a contribution to sustainable rural

development, since it allows the commercialization of products from the countryside, mostly

from small rural producers.

3 Research Methodology

The methodological arrangement of this investigation is characterized as a descriptive ex-

ploratory case study, with bibliographic and documentary research, complemented by ﬁeld

research with the application of questionnaires to rural exhibitors, market managers and ﬁ-

nally a direct observation script carried out by the researcher. The questionnaire is one data

collection method that requires written answers from the interviewed subjects, translating the

objectives of the study in measurable variables (Fortin, 2009). So, a structured questionnaire

was created with closed questions, which was then applied to rural exhibitors

present at the

market, as well as a semi-structured one, which was directed to the organizers

and directors

of the event.

The farmers’ market in Marechal Cândido Rondon has eighteen farmers (rural exhibitors),

and the sample corresponded to 50% of them. A larger number could not be obtained due to

the great popularity and attendance of the market, the number of marketers, and the allocated

time to conduct the interview. All interviews were conducted with family farmers of the city.

The organizers questionnaire was applied to Mr. Lotario Lohmann, current president of the

trade association, at the market itself.

Aer collecting the data by applying questionnaires to the sample of farmers, they were

1 The questionnaire developed for rural exhibitors (producers) used a “likert-type” scale for responses related to the

evaluated dimensions (participation dimension, environmental dimension, economic dimension, social dimension

and, dimension of commercialized products).

2 The questionnaire developed for the organizers / directors of the farmers’ market was divided into three blocks, one

for surveying the history ofthe fair, the other related to rural development (question example: How the government is

involved in the activity, in which way (ﬁnancing, training, etc.)?) and a third, related to the Sustainable Development

Goals (example question: How does the farmers’ market collaborate with the eradication of hunger in the rural area

of the city?).

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Finance, Markets and Valuation Vol. 7, Num. 1 (January-June 2021), 13–21

analyzed descriptively. Furthermore, qualitative analysis was used in the characterization of

the market, description of its history, of rural development factors and actions that can be

identiﬁed in the Sustainable Development Goals.

4 Case Study: Presentation, Analysis and Discussion

The city of Marechal Cândido Rondon is located in the Geographic Mesoregion West of Paraná

and in the Microregion of Toledo, as shown in Figure 1, bordering on the north with the city

of Mercedes, on the northeast with Nova Santa Rosa, on the east with Quatro Pontes, on the

southeast with Toledo, Ouro Verde do Oeste, on the southwest with Pato Bragado, on the south

with São José das Palmeiras and Entre Rios do Oeste, and with the Republic of Paraguay (Itaipu

Lake) on the west.

The city of Marechal has a strong inﬂuence of Germanic culture, demonstrated in their

architecture and language (German). It is estimated that 80% of the population is German

descendant, consequently, their culture is very present in the products and traditions of the

Producers’ Market (Instituto Brasileiro de Geograﬁa e Estatística, 2019).

Figure 1. Map of the city of Marechal Cândido Rondon; Source: Cruz (2018)

The municipal farmers’ market of Marechal Cândido Rondon is held in the central region of

the city, on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The space of the market is a shed

built by the city on a land granted by the rural union, where exhibitors stand on the sides and

the public circulates through the central corridor.

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Finance, Markets and Valuation Vol. 7, Num. 1 (January-June 2021), 13–21

Figure 2. Marechal Cândido Rondon Producers’ Market; Source: Cruz (2018)

The activities are the direct sale of vegetables, milk, and derivatives such as cheese, cream

cheese and butter; agribusiness products such as baked goods and processed meat (like

sausages); and gastronomic products, such as “pastel”, wales, barbecue and “churros”. One

of the marketers was a producer with organic products, which were registered in the “Ecovia

Network.”

The questionnaire referring to the organizers of the fair was applied to Mr. Lotario Lohmann,

current president of the association of fairgoers, in which he identiﬁed two priorities: attending

the local customer well and meeting the market traders’ economic needs. The interviewee

reported that the market exists for 25 years, currently counting with 18 producers. He also

reported that from the beginning he always had important partners who participated in the

implementation and maintenance of the market: Emater (Institute of Innovation for Rural

Sustainable Development) as technical assistance inhelping farmers; the City Hall alongwith the

Department of Agriculture that signed an agreement with the Rural Union; and a “condominium

system”, in which the marketers pay all maintenance expenses and ﬁxed costs of the space.

According to Mr Lotário there is a great demand for new urban producers – mainly producers

of cookies interested in participating in the market –, but the space provided by the city cannot

accommodate more marketers, and the marketers believe that the range of oered products

pleases and meets the customers’ needs. According to the interviewee, the marketers are

satisﬁedwith the structure, production and commercialization of their products, which provides

excellent economic gain and excellent quality of life to the producer, thus allowing the farmers

to stay in the rural environment, providing income for their whole family.

In relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), it was observed that the Marechal

farmers’ market promotes cultural Germanic heritage, connects the ruralto the urbanareas, and

increases the income of all participating farmers through the credibility and trust established

by short chain policies. As stated by the interviewee, the market needs more public support for

the rural development of the city, such as greater tax support and assistance in issuing invoices

for future credit and economic planning; greater aid in certifying and registering products,

which, in the view of the President of the Association, will increase the credibility and quality of

the products; and, ﬁnally, the promotion of a project that will establish the market as a local

touristic and gastronomic attraction.

In the research with the marketers, a relevant data in the discussion was the commitment

that farmershave withthe products and the importance of the market for the rural development

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Finance, Markets and Valuation Vol. 7, Num. 1 (January-June 2021), 13–21

of the city and region. The respondents ﬁnd the technical and political monitoring vitally

important for the maintenance of the markets, especially regarding more variety of products

and government solutions to improve the facilities of the market, boosting the well-being of

clients and the volume of business.

Of the 18 marketers in Marechal Cândido Rondon, 14 belong to family agriculture, corrobo-

rating with Lamarche (1993) description of the relationship and participation of family farming

in urban markets, which promotes social autonomy, family structural importance, economic

self-suiciency, and relationships between the country and the urban man, with the prestige

established by this connection between the societies involved.

The following table shows the list of rural producers and their commercialized products to

diagnose the agricultural potential and consumption of each city.

Among the main products oered, the farmers’ market oers a large amount of baked goods

of Germanic inﬂuence, a variety of gastronomic products (pastel, wales, churros, barbecue,

esﬁhas), meat, sausages, dairy products (milk, cheeses, curd, butter and cream), as well as

ﬂowers and orchids, but it has little variety of fruits and vegetables.

Regarding the perception of family farmers (marketers) about the importance and the

eective implementation of the surveyed dimensions, it was observed that, in general, the

importance attributed to each dimension was always greater than its eective implementation.

When questioned about the importance and implementation of public and private orga-

nizations participation to help manage the market, the interviewees (marketers) considered

it very important. The participation, organization and assistance of the rural union were the

most relevant, followed by the participation of the municipal government, cooperatives, and

educationalentities. Regarding implementation, it was observed that it did not correspond with

the attributed importance, demonstrating a dissatisfaction of producers with the assistance

of public and private organizations in the management of the market at all questioned levels:

secretary of agriculture, associations, and educational entities. It was considered, aer the

analysis of the ﬁnal average, that producers expect greater participation of public and private

organizations in the management and organization of the event.

The interviewees attributed much importance to the environmental dimension and con-

sidered it well implemented; the item related to hygiene and handling of gastronomic dishes

was the only one considered as median. This result demonstrates the importance attributed to

the environmental dimension, indicating that the rural producer recognizes the importance of

environmental protection, both in the matter of production, slaughter, marketing and handling

of the products oered at the market, as well as in the place of the event.

Regarding the economic dimension, the marketers considered all evaluated items very

important, and the average value of importance and implementation were quite similar, which

makes it possible to airm that the market is vital for the economy and proﬁtability of the rural

producer and, consequently, sustainable rural development.

In all items of the social dimension, their importance was greater than their eective imple-

mentation in the market, it is safe to say that the rural producer and family farmers recognize

the importance of their participation in rural markets, as a great opportunity for sustainable

rural development that collaborates with the proximity of urban and rural spheres and provides

opportunities for future business. It is still possible to verify that the producers believe that the

market contributes to the permanence of the producer in the ﬁeld, and its impact on society

and the culture of consumption of these products are decisive factors for the continuity and

prominence of the central market of Marechal.

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Finance, Markets and Valuation Vol. 7, Num. 1 (January-June 2021), 13–21

As for the commercialized products, all items were considered quite important, and the

availabilityof theproduct in the event was the most important. Regarding their implementation,

all were considered well implemented, with emphasis on the variety and availability of the

products oered in the market. According to the obtained results, it is possible to deduce that

in the view of the producer, more regional products could be sold, as to characterize the market

with strong cultural and regional traits.

The farmers’ market in the city of Marechal Cândido Rondon, with its large product variety,

is an excellent example of pluriactivity, focused on the organizational aspects of the rural

production process that involve all family members, investments, gender relations and market

adaptation (Abramovay, 1992; Schneider, 2003, 2010).

In view of these ﬁndings, it is worth emphasizing the role of producers’ markets carried out

by family farmers as a driver of local development, economic and social conditions, produc-

tive quality, food production, and environmental protection (Schneider, 2010; Zanco, Eggers,

Klesener, Hort, & Nandi, 2017).

5 Conclusions

By portraying the organization of family work and its pluriactivity, this study demonstrated that

the farmers’ market represents an economic and social source, capable of exploring alternatives

that strengthen sustainable practices between the rural and urban environment. Thus, it

fulﬁlls the research objective of analyzing farmers’ market as an alternative for strengthening

sustainable practices in the city of Marechal Cândido Rondon – PR.

Based on the research, it was possible to identify that all objectives either contribute or

interfere (directly or indirectly) with the object of study and promote sustainable development

for family farming.

In general, the evaluated market format represented and approved the direct sale of food

within the universe of family farming and the farmers’ satisfaction in showing their work with

guaranteed social recognition, by the exposure of healthy food and cultural maintenance of

this territory.

Thus, the market, as a short chain of product commercialization, is an excellent business

opportunity for the entire rural family, helping the farmers to establish themselves in the ﬁeld

and as a creative strategy for new gastronomic products for the sustainable development of

the studied region.

However, this research has as limitations for a deeper analysis the opinion on the rationality

of the farmers market’s public was not portrayed, as well as the visits to producers’ properties.

Consequently, this research paves the way for new research that, in turn, seeks to create

strategies for the sustainability and permanence of man in the ﬁeld.

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