Seeds and Sprouts of Rural Development: Innovations and Nested Markets in Small Scale On-Farm Processing by Family Farmers in South Brazil

Abstract

In this chapter we examine how the small scale agro-industries located in Southern Brazil, specifically in the North of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, started to deal with changes in their production processes, how they created and adapted technologies, and devised new products. Among the main outcomes of the study we highlight the novelties observed during the field research, especially regarding the family situation and the agro-manufacturing activities, in which we observed (i) a relative raise in autonomy; (ii) improvement in both the income level and the quality of life of household members; (iii) creation of new nested markets and marketing channels; (iv) development of more environmentally sustainable products; (v) improvement of the value added to food products; and (vi) development of new interfaces between families and other social actors.

Citation

Schneider, S. and Gazolla, M. (2015), "Seeds and Sprouts of Rural Development: Innovations and Nested Markets in Small Scale On-Farm Processing by Family Farmers in South Brazil", Constructing a New Framework for Rural Development (Research in Rural Sociology and Development, Vol. 22), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 127-156. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1057-192220150000022005