“Today is street market day” – pathways to agroecology in the municipal food supply policy of Curitiba-Paraná

Abstract

This article discusses the adoption of organic and/or agroecological street markets and their insertion in the food supply policy of the municipal secretariat for food supply (Secretaria Municipal do Abastecimento - SMAB) of Curitiba. Our objective is to identify elements that could guide inter-sectoral public strategies in the promotion of sovereignty and food and nutrition security (Soberania e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional, SSAN). A qualitative methodological approach was chosen, in which interviews were carried out with five SMAB agents and eight farmers. The institutional documentation that guided the creation of such street markets and their establishment as a strategic priority by SMAB was analyzed. The role of farmers and traders was determinant of the adoption of such markets, the local political power reflecting the political and technological scenario in which decisive actions toward their implementation were taken. Our results take the local government’s role of bringing together producers and consumers into account while giving visibility to important pathways followed by agroecology.