Organizational arrangement of coffee growers in the Garça Region: a perspective of the localized agro-food systems approach in Brazil

Abstract

Coffee production has been present in Garça region for over 100 years, with a historical, social, and economic relevance for the region. It began around the Peixe River, and the first agricultural properties were established there. Nowadays, the Garça region is formed by 14 cities with strong coffee production. Through Council of Garça Coffee Growers (CONGARÇA), these 14 cities elaborated a Geographical Indication (GI) project to protect the local coffee production. This project is now under evaluation by the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). GI is used as a strategy to add value to a product and/or service, promoting awareness and the development of the territory responsible for its production. The Localized Agrifood System (LAFS) approach was used to analyze the Garça region. This article aims to understand who are the authors that form the organizational arrangement for coffee production and marketing in the microregion of Garça/SP. Through semistructured interviews, it was possible to evaluate the current relationship between coffee growers and support institutions. It was noticed that the LAFS structured among social actors seeks to establish, through collective actions, the recognition of the specialty coffees production, the territory, and add value to the product. It is possible to conclude that the relationship between coffee farmers and local institutions were fundamentally important to the local production of specialty coffee, as well as the current process of registering a GI.