Over the past decades, the dynamics governing the food supply chain have been predominantly shaped by the production and distribution of conventional products through long supply chains and based on productivist models. Under the premise of delivering low-cost products, this configuration involves aspects such as the undervaluation of family farming, limited transparency, favoring conventional food production—with resulting environmental and health impacts—and concentration of power. This logic has led to deepening inequalities in rural areas and reduced access to healthy foods, particularly organic products, which are still largely treated as niche items.

Organic agriculture represents a production management system that stands in opposition to the conventional model in several respects, offering a promising pathway to ensure the availability and accessibility of healthy food while preserving natural resources. Strengthening the organic food value chain holds significant potential to make our food systems fairer, more democratic, and more resilient.

In this regard, the pursuit of more sustainable agri-food systems inevitably depends on strengthening family farming. In addition to producing essential food for national food and nutrition security, family farmers possess valuable knowledge and practices that contribute to biodiversity conservation and other ecosystem services.

Aligned with this perspective, the Converte-se Project aims to promote organic conversion among family farmers and strengthen the organic food value chain in Brazil, grounded in the principles of fair trade, environmental conservation, and food and nutrition security.

FGV São Paulo School of Business Administration (FGV EAESP)

FGV Center for Sustainability Studies (FGVces)

Researcher: Ana coelho

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