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Mon, 9 Apr 2018 17:54:17 +0000
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Hi all,

Here is the aggregated input received on topic #5 - "The importance of food businesses to small farms"

Q5.1/6 - Question "5.1.  What kind of food businesses are important to small farms in your region? Which of these are small food businesses? Please also explain how you define small food businesses."

1/ From: Yoanna Ivanova <[log in to unmask]> (Bulgaria)
Small food businesses in Bulgaria may be associated with a primary preparation of the production, primary processing, production of products typical of the region concerned, production of ready and semi-prepared foods.

2/ From: Boyko Doychinov <[log in to unmask]> (Bulgaria)
Small food business is a basic economic structure and its sustainability needs to be supported in a period of growing population and consumption and eco-challenges.
The production of traditional and organic products with high quality added value are important for the development of small farms in Bulgaria.

______


Q5.2/5 - Question "5.2.  Do food businesses in your region play an important role within the food system? How? Please provide specific examples."

1/ From: Mayank Jain <[log in to unmask]> (India)
Mayank Jain follows up on an input from Laura Arnalte Mur (Spain) in Q5.2/4, who mentions a SALSA study showing the importance of small food businesses in Spain.

Mayank Jain comments:
I completely agree with findings of the study. I think these informal market plays an important role in the socio-economic state of region. We tend to explore the local markets for our farmers and provide them an opportunity through a local market place or within a village area to sell their produce.

As for small farmers, we go for diversified products like fish, honey and mushroom; we have opened a village outlet for the farmers to put their produce and channel it from there catering to the people in/around the village. Similarly, we have also facilitated and worked with farmers to lead through local market.

Such food businesses become important because:
1. While working with farmers over past three years, I have realised that slowly and slowly agriculture has turned from profession of hope to that of despair  and people are looking ways to run away from the same and indulge in different activities. But once through these businesses (informal/formal) they see access to credits; a gleam in their eyes is seen and they are willing to continue with new energy
2. It also serves the very purpose of sustainable & local consumption as well cut down on logistics and money handling with immediate returns which in turn happens to be good.
3. It also revives and creates opportunity for livelihood. eg while working in Northern Bengal region, women interaction withing village was limited. However apart form being the invisible labour in the fields, they also doubled up as putting up market access for their farm produce which also strengthens their power equations in households and generally these households are found to be more progressive and prosperous.

In Gaya (South Bihar - India) - all fresh farm produce market in the local morning market are mostly lead by women - which strengthens their position and also serves as potential to handle gender issues in agriculture.


2/ From Boyko Doychinov <[log in to unmask]> (Bulgaria)
In Bulgaria, food businesses play an important role, not only in feeding the population and exporting, but also in meeting the needs of tourism that is highly developed in the country.


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