Food proximity strategies
Introduction
They are spaces where peasant producers offer their products to consumers. They are characterized by having low levels of commercial intermediation, which is generally limited to one person or peasant family distributing products from other relatives or neighbors, a function that can be rotated. In the case of buyers, the majority are end consumers, although the presence of people who supply restaurants, corporate food services, stores, etc. is also common. The offer mostly consists of fresh foods such as vegetables, tubers, fruits and aromatic and medicinal plants; They also offer meats and dairy products, traditional processed foods (arepas, tortillas, cakes, desserts, fermented drinks, etc.) and in some cases prepared foods (breakfasts, lunches, hot drinks), crafts, beekeeping and medicinal products, among others. The medium of exchange is money, but it is common for some non-monetary transactions or barter to occur, mainly between the peasant producers themselves, who directly exchange some products for others.
The supply of agricultural products by the farmers themselves dates back to the establishment of the first sedentary societies; This practice had great development in civilizations such as those of ancient Persia or the Aztecs. The origin of peasant markets would be linked to the emergence of a peasant social class, which in Europe would date back to the century with the transition from the feudal to the mercantilist model, which allowed small-scale agricultural producers, based on family labor, to have control of their lands and to directly and freely market their production, especially in local markets. In Latin America, the emergence of peasants as a social group differentiated from indigenous people, Spaniards and Africans is related to miscegenation and dates back to the 19th century, with a distinctive aspect being the notion of private land ownership, along with small-scale family production. During the colonial and republican era, this type of markets imitated those developed by native settlers for centuries, and were generally held in the main squares or parks, being the most important food supply channel for urban settlers. With the consolidation of wholesale centers and modern capitalist or retail food marketing channels in the 20th century, peasant markets and their indigenous counterparts were reduced to the point of disappearing in some places, but in recent decades they have been promoted again by civil society organizations such as Vía Campesina, academia and some national and territorial governments.
Currently, peasant markets are also known as farmer's fairs, producers' fairs, free fairs, farmers markets, among other names. Some markets combine peasant and indigenous traditions, such as the tianguis in Mexico, the tambos in Bolivia and the mingalerías in Colombia. They are related to other conceptual categories such as short marketing or proximity circuits, alternative food networks and local markets. Likewise, they are also mentioned in the principles of contemporary food sovereignty and agroecology, although a good part of peasant production continues to use chemically synthesized inputs and additives.