Produtos orgânicos e certificação: o estudo desse processo em uma associação de produtores do município de Palmeira - PR

Abstract

Organic agriculture emerge as an option for small farmers due to high demand for healthy products and the search of consumers for food from more sustainable production. Consequently, the certification of these products from organic unit it is essential in order that producer can add value and income to their products. Nevertheless, around 90,000 establishments existing in Brazil practicing organic farming (IBGE, 2006), only 20,000 of these establishments are certified (EPAGRI, 2009). Within this context the need arises for a stu dy to verified what level of information that organic producers have in an audited certification process through, and what are the potential barriers of these family farmers in this organic certification process. For this purpose, the survey was conducted in three stages: the first step was the characterization of eight organic production units located in Palmeira, PR have already follow this model of agricultural production for over ten years, the second step was carried out from the transfer of information and technology necessary to the production units, and finally were verified what barriers and potential of organic certification of the products obtained in the production units. The reduction of the eight units studied to five was performed due desistance and lack of some essential requirements for the certification of these units. As a result, the five units was characterized with high heterogeneity in relation to age and formal education, did not know such requirements as: the organic management plan, traceability, legalization of environmental aspects and proof of the beginning of conversion. For this, was promoted to these units the transfer of information and technology, where it was developed a methodology for the generation of traceability and organic management plan. In short the group showed great potential to obtain certification as care about environmental requirements; however, the bureaucratic requirements as traceability, SISLEG/PR1, organic management plan, among others, were classified as the barriers to the certification of its products. If there was not the spread of such necessary technologies and information to the units, these properties would not achieve the organic certification. Therefore, we stress the need for dissemination of information on regulatory requirements for the organic production units for the certification of its products, and this process can provide the conquest of new markets and not the withdrawal of these farmers to follow the model of organic production.