Family farming, food processing and advances and setbacks in the regulation of traditional and artisanal foods

Abstract:

In Brazil, the 1990s represent a milestone in public policies for family farming. Among these policies, that one’s focused on stimulating food agroindustrialization are especially relevant because encouraged numerous rural families to process and commercialize their products. As a consequence, in the last decades, the number of family-farm agroindustries, formal or informal, has grown significantly. However, in spite of the public incentive to agroindustrialization, these foods are mostly processed and commercialized informally due, mainly, to the criteria set by the health regulations. Although in recent years positive changes can be noticed in relation to the legalization of family-farm agroindustries, there are remaining gaps and important challenges that have contributed to the expressive number of food processing in an informal way. In this context, the aim of this paper is to broaden the debate on the characteristics and definitions associated with food processing within the family farm and to analyze some Brazilian health regulations related to these products. Therefore, in addition to this contextualization, this paper analyzes health regulations that affect or influence food process activities, seeking to contemplate not only different values and qualities in dispute but also possibilities to overcome gaps and challenges in relation to the artisanal and traditional agrifood products.

Keywords:
food processing; family-farm agroindustry; artisanal and traditional agrifood products; health regulation