61
60
that have supported the initiative, alongside FBB itself, SEBRAE, Ematec, Federal
University of Ceará, amongst other organizations.
The project has started to be implemented in associations in four towns:
Pacajus (Pascoal Residents Association); Chorozinho (Peace Builders Community
Association); and in Tururu (Cemoaba Community Association). Next, six new
mini-factories were built and equipped in the frame of the project, in the towns
of Aracati, Aquiraz, Ocara, Tururu, Barreira e Granja. In total, three mini-factories
were renewed and seven mini-factories were built.
INDICATORS FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES PART OF THE CASHEW CULTIVATION
SECTOR PILOT-PROJECT IN CEARÁ
Town
Population
a)
Pop. Rural
Family Farmers
b)
Fishermen
c)
Bolsa Família
Beneficiariesa
d)
Settled Families
e)
HDI
*
GINI
*
people
%
Aquiraz***
72.628
5.545
7,63
1.690
544
8.231
121
0,641
0,48
Aracati
69.159
25.124
36,33
1.159
292
8.762
369
0,655
0,53
Barreira
19.573
11.446
58,48
824
1
2.771
n.d.
0,616
0,55
Chorozinho
18.915
7.890
39,59
754
22
2.774
85
0,604
0,50
Fortim
14.817
5.209
35,16
298
652
2.125
63
0,624
0,51
Granja
52.645
26.753
50,82
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
0,559
0,62
Icapui
18.392
12.605
68,54
869
2
2.920
300
0,616
0,47
Ocara
23.242
16.141
69,00
1.909
2
3.573
346
0,594
0,59
Pacajús
61.838
11.163
18,05
736
6
6.530
n.d.
0,680
0,54
Tururu**
14.408
9.120
63,30
745
1
2.180
118
0,606
0,62
Notes: * 2010; **2 Quilombola Communities and *** 1 Quilombola e 1 Indigenous Land (FUNAI 2008)
Sources: a)IBGE (2010), b) IBGE (1995/1996), c) SEAP(2004), d) MDS (2008), e) INCRA (2007)
Throughout the project, it was observed that the model implemented
with a single cooperative was not enough to coordinate the work on the several
associations and did not stimulate the generation of new leaders in the several
towns. After a great deal of negotiation and evaluation carried by the Managing
Committee, a model comprised by several singular cooperatives was adopted,
with each cooperative representing a community and being owner of a cashew
almond mini-factory.
Finally, the central cooperative Copacaju was created in the town of
Pacajus, to articulate the ten smaller cooperatives (singular cooperatives) in the
other towns. Copacaju is the responsible for centralizing the standardization
(more recently, this activity was decentralized), fractioning, packaging and com-
mercialization of the almonds. Its structure is able to process monthly 20,000
kilos of the product to be sold, amount that would be enough to fill a container
for export.
However, the longed insertion in the export market was not possible
due to the insufficient production. This led the organizations to seek space
in the domestic market, but with the limitation of having to sell only on the
wholesale marked, without doing the branding in the final product. The coop-
eratives resented also not having an area dedicated to develop marketing and
sales strategies.
Despite of the organizational and technological advances, other diffi-
culties and challenges remained. One of the main problems is in the trading
area, in which the groups have little experience, therefore needing training and
the creation of a specific area to develop strategic actions.
Until recently, the small producers have one single client, the middleman,
for whom the product would be sold in natura (i.e. without any processing) and
little margin for price negotiation. In this sense, orientation projects and market
research have been developed with the support of SEBRAE-CE. Leaders of the
central cooperative have also received training in the export sector, in partnership
with the Industrial Technology Core Foundation (Nutec), attached to the Secretary
of Science, Technology and Higher Education, of the State of Ceará government
and the Export Support Programme of the federal government.
More specifically, the challenges regard the consolidation of the existent
clients and the expansion of the range of consumers. The groups also seek to ac-
complish spaces in large wholesalers and supermarket chains and the possibility
to trade using their own Copacaju brand in the final product.
The insertion in the export market is another challenge. In this sense,
the cooperatives are searching several certifications that could open door on the
international market and improve the worker’s income. The certification in fair
trade system and the organic certification are two examples of labels that the
cashew production cooperatives are claiming.