Segurança alimentar e nutricional dos agricultores familiares da associação dos produtores e produtoras orgânicas de Ceará Mirim/RN

Abstract

The proposition of this research is supported by the definition of Food Safety and Nutrition (FSN), established by the II FSN National Conference. Taking this concept as reference, the research instrument aimed to analyze strategies and actions related to FSN, developed by members of Ceará Mirim Organic Producers Association, located in Rio Grande do Norte state (Brazil), from aspects related to family feeding, as well as means of access, quantity and food culture. It was aimed to answer the following questions: Do the families benefited from Ceará Mirim Organic Producers Association have strategies that assure their FSN? If so, do these strategies originate from public policies or own actions? Do these strategies focus on family revenue? In expenses with food and proper feeding? How do these strategies articulate together and which social networks do they form? In this research, there were also approached questionings which comprise market opening through the declaration of the products as Organization of Social Control (OSC), aggregate value and participation in agroecological fairs, aiming to identify and characterize if these strategies contribute for Food Safety and Nutrition of these families. The data here analyzed were obtained from semi-structured interviews, conducted in the production sites of each farmer, and have a qualitative approach. 21 questionnaires were applied to the family farmers, in seven projects of agrarian reform settlements (Carlos Marighella, Nova Esperança II, Aliança, Marcoalhado I, Santa Águeda, Santa Luzia and União). From this study, it was concluded that most of FSN strategies result from a series of distinct public policies, which potentiate the existing strategies and create new ones, such as in the case of organic production, which is the main motivation, even for the organization of the studied group. These strategies brought improvements in feeding and caused changes in eating habits, especially in the diversification of production for own consumption. This, on the other hand, is assuring greater food autonomy and increasing marketing channels, through fairs or institutional markets. It was also verified that reciprocity relations increased after the organic production, and they are indispensable to assure food in difficult times, also contributing to incentive organic production itself, through supplies exchange.