Collective agro-industrialization of food in the Goiano cerrado, Brazil:

productive dynamics in agrarian reform settlements

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18055/Finis44567

Abstract

Among the contradictions that mark Brazilian agrarian reform, collective experiences are emerging in agrarian reform settlements, which are still largely invisible. This article analyzes productive groups focused on food processing in settlements under the jurisdiction of the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA) in Goiás, seeking to identify what they produce, how they market their products, and how they create alternative sources of income. Based on a quantitative-qualitative investigation, 36 active groups were mapped in 34 settlements, out of a total of 297. These groups engage in continuous food-processing activities for commercial purposes, with 34 groups (94%) using raw materials produced on their own settlement plots. The most notable processed foods are honey, baked goods, handmade sweets, and cassava derivatives. Informal marketing channels predominate, but institutional markets, such as the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) and the National School Feeding Program (PNAE), support more structured groups. Based on multifunctionality, cooperation, and ties to the territory, these experiences point to significant potential for the socioeconomic strengthening of settled families through collective work, but this is still conditional on infrastructure improvements, ongoing technical support, and stable public policies.

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Author Biographies

Janice Morais Oliveira, Universidade Federal de Goiás

She has a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of São Paulo (2001), a master's degree in Animal Science and Pastures from the University of São Paulo (2003), and a specialization in Agroecology and Rural Development from the Federal University of Goiás (2015). She has experience in the field of Agronomy, with an emphasis on Environmental Education, Small Animal Production, Rural Settlement Development, and Agroecology. She has been a civil servant at INCRA/GO since 2008 and is currently pursuing a PhD in the Graduate Program in Agribusiness at UFG.

Fabiana Thomé da Cruz, Universidade Federal de Goiás

Has a degree in Food Engineering from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (2005), a master's degree in Agroecosystems from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (2007), and a doctorate in Rural Development from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (2012), having completed a doctoral internship at the Cardiff School of City and Regional Planning, Cardiff University (CPLAN, 2010-2011). She has a postdoctoral degree in Rural Development from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. She is currently an adjunct professor at the School of Agronomy of the Federal University of Goiás (EA/UFG), a professor in the Graduate Program in Agribusiness (PPGAGRO/UFG), and a collaborating professor in the Graduate Program in Development (PGDR/UFRGS). She is the coordinator of the Study, Research, and Extension Group on Sustainable Agriculture and Systems (GEEPASS). She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Network of Researchers on Food and Nutritional Sovereignty and Security. She has dedicated herself to research related to family farming and rural development, especially with regard to the debate on the quality of traditional foods, family agribusinesses, insertion into formal markets, food and nutritional security, and sustainable food systems.

 

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Published

2026-07-23

How to Cite

Morais Oliveira, J., & Thomé da Cruz, F. (2026). Collective agro-industrialization of food in the Goiano cerrado, Brazil:: productive dynamics in agrarian reform settlements. Finisterra, 61(131), e44567. https://doi.org/10.18055/Finis44567

Issue

Vol. 61 No. 131 (2026)

Section

Research Articles

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