Producers and Consumers Relationship Strategies in the Organic Market in Brazil

Summary

The paper deals with marketing strategies in different sales channels and organic producers and consumers relationship. The empirical study was conducted on 41 organic horticultural farms in 16 municipalities within the Curitiba Metropolitan Area, Paraná, Brazil. Two types of farmers were identified: 1-Rural, with origins and life trajectories in the rural area and 2-Neorural, with urban area background having migrated to the rural milieu. Farmers who sell directly to consumers use more than 3 marketing channels, their production systems are diversified (+ than 20 products), management is complex and the farm is versatile (inn, restaurant, pick-and-pay, rural tourism) and producer/consumer relationship is bigger. Integrated farmers (indirect sales) have only one sales channel. Farmers follow production plans from the buying companies and the output is marketed through supermarket chains. Farming systems are simple (- than 5 products) and relationship with consumers is insignificant. Events such as visit to organic farms, advanced buying, producer/consumer direct credit and organic farming courses or field days, have strengthened producer/consumer relationship and provided consumer support to an organic farms network.