Social construction of markets by family farming in Unaí
Capabilities and limitations
Access to markets is considered a major constraint to the development of family farming. This article aims to analyze the access of family farmers in the municipality of Unaí, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil to two markets: the fair of family farming, and the sale of products for Brazil’s National School Feeding Programme (Pnae). Unaí is an important region of milk production. Milk production was shown to be the main strategy for the integration of farmers into the market. However, the marketing of milk was found to be concentrated, which emphasized the need to develop new strategies. Access to Pnae and the fair has provided diversification of products sold and higher income generation in the establishments. Promising strategies were built to enable farmers’ access to the constructed markets, not only for those already entered in the milk chain, but also – and mainly – for those who were excluded from the markets and at risk. However, the enormous difficulties encountered by farmers to build access to Pnae and the fair must be highlighted, mainly those relating to bureaucracy. It is necessary that these new opportunities bring about new marketing networks based on the logic of trust and close relationships, especially between farmers and the government.