Activation of territorial food resources on the capital frontier,Marajó, Amazon, Brazil: does it face with global agro-food systems?

Abstract

Territorial food resources can be understood as locally produced foods that are part of the typical food culture of a specific region. In a context in which global agri-food systems are predominant, the activation of local food resources can be used as a strategy for territorial development, especially as public policy for such an important frontier territory as Marajó (Pará, Brazilian Amazon). This article characterizes the purchase of different food groups by the National School Feeding Program (also known as PNAE) of different foods groups and analyzes its contribution to activating territorial resources and confronting global agri-food systems in municipalities in the Marajó region. The article adopts an exploratory-qualitative methodological approach. The main conclusion is that the mobilization of local actors, enabled by public institutional purchasing policies, triggers processes of activation of territorial food resources that contribute to territorial development and, albeit in a limited way, promote confrontation with global agri-food systems and the advancement of the external market in peripheral regions that need to internalize economic results.