Family farmers in short food supply chains: a quantitative assessment of farmers’ markets

Abstract: Qualitative research projects have revealed the importance of short food supply chains for providing alternatives for family farmers marketing their agricultural goods. This study presents an additional contribution to these efforts by quantifying the participation of family farmers in farmers’ markets at the county level. It assesses to what extent farmers’ markets represent an alternative market channel by providing: (a) opportunities for family farmers selling their goods; (b) functional short food supply chains and; (c) alternatives to the industrial supply chains. Based on quantitative data from 59 markets, sampled from a universe of 369 farmers’ markets in the Brazilian State of Goiás, we found that 42.37% of the farmers’ markets offer opportunities for family farmers, 32.20% promote local short marketing channels, and 35.59% work as an alternative to the industrial agri-food systems. As a whole, 10.17% of the studied farmers’ markets meet the three above-mentioned objectives. Statistical regressions reveal that: 1) the lower the percentage of middlemen and the greater the percentage of family farmers taking part in farming organizations, the greater the number of stands owned by family farmers; 2) the greater the relevance of the farmers’ market in both the organization of farmers and in the catalysis of new business, the greater the positive influence on public policies.

摘要：定性研究已证实，短链食品供应链可为家庭农户销售其农产品提供替代路径，其重要性凸显。本研究通过量化县域层面家庭农户参与农贸市场的情况，为该领域研究补充了新的成果。本研究旨在评估农贸市场作为替代性市场渠道的覆盖程度，具体从以下三方面展开：(a) 为家庭农户提供产品销售机会；(b) 构建可正常运转的短链食品供应链；(c) 作为工业供应链的替代方案。本研究基于从巴西戈亚斯州369家农贸市场总体中抽取的59家市场的定量数据，分析结果显示：42.37%的农贸市场可为家庭农户提供销售机会，32.20%的农贸市场助力本地短营销渠道建设，35.59%的农贸市场可作为工业级农业食品系统的替代方案。整体而言，仅有10.17%的被调研农贸市场同时满足上述三项目标。统计回归分析结果表明：1) 中间商占比越低、参与农业合作组织的家庭农户占比越高，家庭农户所拥有的摊位数量就越多；2) 农贸市场在农户组织协调与催生新业务两方面的相关性越强，其对公共政策的正向影响就越大。