As feiras de agricultores familiares da Patagônia Argentina: co-produzindo Desenvolvimento Rural Sustentável

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to research and characterize the dynamics of family farming fairs in Patagonia, Argentina, as part of short marketing circuits and contributors to the coproduction of Sustainable Rural Development. Considering that throughout their history they have contributed various elements to this development process. The study was divided into three focal points: the first focused on characterizing the fairs in terms of their organizational, productive and economic dynamics; the second on analysing their historical trajectory and, finally, on analyzing the role of fairs in the co-production of sustainable rural development. For this research, a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches was used, considering bibliographical and empirical research through the application of semi-structured questionnaires applied remotely, covering 53 active fairs in Argentine Patagonia. The work is divided into six chapters. The first presents the introduction and contextualization of the topic. The second chapter details the materials and methods used in the research. The third chapter deals with the theoretical framework, focusing on concepts such as public policies and agendas. Social solidarity economy, food systems and markets, dynamics and trajectories, co-production theory and sustainable development goals. The fourth chapter briefly describes the context of family farming and then delves into the characterization and trajectory of family farming fairs in Patagonia. The fifth chapter explores the role of fairs in the co-production of sustainable development, focusing on aspects such as the impact on public policies and agendas, the revalorization of nature and ancestral cultures, the social economy of solidarity, consumption and good living, women's leadership, and the creation or adaptation of artifacts and social technologies. Finally, the sixth chapter presents the final considerations, highlighting the main findings and suggesting avenues for future research. The results show that the fairs are dynamic spaces of co-production in which a multiplicity of actors interact in a process that creates or adapts local norms, revalues nature and native peoples, promotes the social economy of solidarity and responsible consumption while encouraging female leadership and the development of social technologies. This confluence of heterogeneous elements contributes directly to the co-production of sustainable rural development. The research results also emphasize the potential of alternative production, exchange, marketing and consumption strategies to deconstruct hegemonic food systems based on local knowledge and practices. Generating local sociotechnical novelties and innovations is one of the pillars for building and promoting a future based on regeneration, resilience, inclusion and equity.