Ten witness cases of the purposes and factors that sustain and drive family farming in South America

Abstract

The research objective was to characterize the performance of family farmers involved in productive and commercial forms of organization called "short-circuits" and "productive link-chains". The main goal was to identify factors that foster and sustain these organizations in South America. Based ona multiple case study research, this article analyzes ten experiences, including six short-circuits and four productive link-chains. The cases under study are located in eight countries in the region (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay). The results provide evidence to support that emergence and sustainability of these organizations are favored by factors such as the starting impulse, the association of farmers, the leadership skills, the importance of market demand, the development of capabilities, the improvement in work conditions and environment care. Furthermore, this work allows to emphasize that family agriculture policies cannot be of the type "one size fits all". On the contrary, this kind of policies should consider the type of organizations and their development stage, under specific contextual conditions.