O crescimento do mercado de alimentos orgânicos e as variáveis determinantes na sua oferta e procura em Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil

Abstract

This research demonstrates the rise of a change in the culture of consumption of foods produced in a traditional way for those without the use of pesticides, demonstrating this evolution through an Environmental Education acquired from the level of information and social interest about the benefits of organic foods in detriment to the harms presented by those who use pesticides in their production. Discourse about the growth of the organic food market at the national level, in contrast to a scenario that appoints Brazil one of the countries that use most pesticides in the world. It presents the objective of a study of the organic food market in the city of Recife, through the analysis of the producers / traders and the consumer motivations for the acquisition and consumption of this type of food. Theoretical basis was built through a literature review, bringing relevant authors to the theme of organic foods, sustainability and consumer behavior, presenting the main theories and models about the subject. In the methodology, two models were presented to meet different approaches, being a qualitative study with 8 farmers producers / traders of organic foods through a content analysis. Then, a quantitative research with 85 consumers of organic foods in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, in order to trace their consumption profiles. The result of this research analyzed the sociodemographic profile of the producing farmers in the fairs studied, all of them belonging to associations of production of organic foods. It was identified that most of them having only the middle school, however, with enough empirical knowledge linked to the function performed. Half of these farmers work for a relatively little time with organic, having between 1 and 3 years of production, which shows the recent interest in this market. In the study of analysis of the content, were analyzed their yearnings and main difficulties, as well as the motivators and variables for the production of this type of food. Secondly, it was identified that the consumers profile of organic foods is predominantly composed of people with a high level of schooling, but with almost half with low purchasing power, thus demonstrating that the level of education is more determinant for the consumption of organic food than the wage bracket. One erroneous perception was perceived for the majority of the consumers that the prices of the organic foods are always more expensive than the conventional ones, through a study of pricing between the fairs and supermarkets. Other variables of consumption, their perception about food and its benefits were also studied. Finally, a proposal was made for environmental education and also the elaboration of an educational brochure to be distributed to the population about the importance and benefits of organic foods.