Dissertação
Indicações geográficas no Brasil: possibilidades para os produtores inseridos na área de proteção ambiental do Ibirapuitã - RS
Date
2008-04-15Registration in:
VARGAS, Ivens Cristian Silva. Geographical indications in Brazil: possibilities for farmers in the apa of Ibirapuitã - RS. 2008. 116 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Agronomia) - Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, 2008.
Author
Vargas, Ivens Cristian Silva
Institutions
Abstract
Agribusiness is an important sector to contribute the Brazilian trade surplus.
The European Union and the United States are among the main destinations of
agrofood products, taking part in 31.4% and 14.2% out of the exportations,
respectively. The consumers, especially the Europeans, have presented themselves
more demanding in what concerns farming products for human consumption, due to
the nature of these products and the frequent food crisis. Thus, market segmentation
based on information about the origin of the product and production process for
differentiation and price attribution has become important, due to the fact that farming
systems which are scale-based and linked to the production of commodities have
become weakened beyond such markets. In this context, an alternative for
development for certain regions is to consider regional/local specificities as factors
that determine their identity, based on the concept of geographical indications. This
scenario presents an opportunity for the farmers located in the APA of Ibirapuitã.
Historically, the region is linked to animal production, due to the fact that the natural
pastures there found provide a good support for this type of activity, which has
marked the tradition, history and culture of the Gaúcho. The natural environment,
therefore, characterises certain intrinsically specific attributes for the products that
are originated from it, being that an important aspect in Geographical Indications.
Thus, the geographical origin system, used in a Protected Designations of Origin or
Protected Geographical Indications approach, is an alternative of development
through the territorial perspective. This region is inserted in a conservation area
legally known for its peculiar characteristics linked to the Pampa Bioma, which
legitimizes extensive animal production. The development of a prototype of a system
with a geo-referenced database occurred due to the need of obtaining the position of
farmers in relation to the borders of the APA of Ibirapuitã. Finally the geographical
indications can be used not only as tools to access other markets, but also for
agricultural development, in the sense of valuing territories, mainly for small farmers
that are strongly linked to their place of origin, history and culture. This space-time
relation values the richness of natural, historical and cultural characteristics, i.e., the
features which are fundamental for the differentiation of its production. This approach
allows the origin of a product and/or its production processes to be valued, and to
convert them into a differentiation and value aggregation factor, besides assuring the
products identified according to pre-established parameters in what refers mainly to
environmental, social and sanitary issues, as an alternative to the new barriers
present in today s economical negotiations.