Faced with the insidious crisis that has been plaguing Brazil in recent years, more acutely in the last 6 years when the unemployment rate reached over 13%, something around 14 million inactive people, the situation was not more serious due to the excellent performance of the agricultural sector which, this year, will grow by more than 10%.
Praise to the sector for its spectacular performance, but we cannot forget that there is a very strong dependence on “agribusiness”, involving large properties dedicated to monoculture (soy, wheat, coffee, rice, cotton, corn), whose production is highly mechanized and very focused on the foreign market.
The reality we face, however, is different. Around 70% of everything that supplies the domestic market, that is, the Brazilian citizen's table, comes from small rural properties, generally run by modest farmers and their families, with few technological and technical resources, labor insufficient and without access to official credits. They still face other barriers to cultivating their crops, increasingly high input costs, unsatisfactory prices and, if all of this were not enough, the often unfavorable and unpredictable weather conditions help to discourage this selfless contingent of workers.
Even so, family farming has a vital importance in national agricultural production. Several items that make up the basic family basket are practically produced by small properties and crops. Good examples are the “hortifrutigranjeiros”, installed in the so-called “green belt” around the Capital of São Paulo, who dump tons of products such as vegetables, fruits, cereals, fish, chicken in supermarkets, retailers and open-air markets, meeting consumer needs.
As I am a descendant of farmers and was born in the interior, I have always had a lot of respect and admiration for this hard-working category of workers, small rural producers, almost always anonymous and who with immense difficulties carry out the hard task of extracting crops from land that is not always fertile. vegetables, cereals and fruits that we consume daily.
And, among these small farmers, I particularly remember the figure of the one who is now my friend, Eiji Enokizono, a young fruit grower, who runs a property of approximately 15 hectares in the Piedade region, 100 km from the Capital, with the help of the dedicated family, consisting of his wife Alice, children, parents and sisters-in-law.
I have always been an avid fruit fan and this habit remains to this day. Due to this mania, about 7 years ago I met Eiji-San who, at the time, was exhibiting his persimmons at the annual fair that takes place on the premises of a traditional club in the Japanese colony, Coopercotia, of which I am a member.
I was enchanted by the size and quality of the persimmons ( Fuyu ) sold there and curious as I am, I struck up a conversation with him and found out that he was a fruit producer, he had a farm in Piedade, where he grew persimmons, peaches, strawberries, lychees and medlars. Given the positive response to the consultation I made, whether we could visit the place to learn about the production and, eventually, purchase the fruits, it was the “start” of a friendship that continues to this day. At least two or three times a year, we visit the farm and spend a pleasant day, in contact with nature, tasting seasonal fruits on the tree and filling the trunk of the vehicle with boxes of the highest quality fruits, as well as of vegetables and preserves produced with care by the skilled hands of D. Alice and her sisters. Whenever possible, on these trips I usually invite brothers and sisters-in-law and, therefore, we go in a caravan to the place, in a different and healthy program, making everyone happy. It is also a way of helping Eiji-san, as these visits represent potential buyers, where he can sell the products directly, without intermediaries and without distribution costs, receiving cash payments for sales. In short, a good thing for everyone; an embryo of an idea that will be very useful later on.
Over the last few years, however, I had noticed a certain look of concern on my friend Eiji-San's face, which I later learned was due to adverse market conditions, partly due to the crisis the country has been facing for a few years. , reflected in all segments and also, of course, in the agricultural area. The increasing costs of inputs and labor and, on the other hand, the sales prices of fruits that were not always satisfactory and equitable, in addition to the bad weather caused by nature, made the head of the Enokizono Family uneasy, to the point where he thought about leaving the activity. of the countryside, started by his father almost 50 years ago. A decision that would be cruel and painful for someone who is responsible for providing for a family, with a wife, 2 teenage children, parents and sisters-in-law.
The fruits that come out of the orchard are of excellent quality, almost always champions at the Annual Festivals that take place in the city. They are well accepted in the market, but transportation and intermediation costs sacrifice profit margins. Not to mention that the seasonality of the fruits (persimmons, in April/May, peaches in November/December, Lychee in January) causes complications in production, leaving months blank, with practically no income, just expenses.
From the first contact with the Enokizono Family, I noticed in them people of the best nature, good, honest, simple and hardworking. I sympathized with them and a strong empathy formed between us. It was then that, as I became aware of the dilemma the Family was facing, a little light went on in my head. The idea occurred to me to suggest to Eiji-San the adoption of a relatively new initiative in Brazil, which I have seen implemented in some rural properties with great success: rural tourism or agritourism . Even with the limited knowledge I had on the subject, I gave him some information and, despite some trepidation, he bought the idea and was willing to implement it during that year's persimmon harvest, which takes place between April and June. I mentioned to him that the project would require a small investment to improve the site's infrastructure, which was quite precarious, such as cleaning the warehouse, accommodation, especially bathrooms, etc., in addition to requiring the involvement and participation of the entire family in the project.
For our part, taking advantage of the good relationship we had, we made an effort to publicize the initiative among our friends and, with this, we managed to take a first group of tourists (a full bus), whose participants, the majority of whom were “third age”, They had the opportunity to return to their origins and spend a truly unforgettable day. They visited a persimmon orchard (fuyu and guiombo), learned a little about cultivation and production and, more than that, picked the fruit directly from the tree. All of this, enriched by the kindness and attention of the Family, who went out of their way to welcome Visitors, offering a delicious breakfast upon arrival at the place and, at lunch, an exquisite “obentô”, all made by the family. In addition to the wonderful persimmons that they were able to pick and bring, visitors were offered pickled products made on site, such as “lakyô”, tsukemono , fukujinzuke , shimeji, dried persimmon, etc., as well as very fresh vegetables that were made available. There was practically nothing left. In other words, the event was a success and we can say that the idea came from the visits we started to make to the site a few years ago.
Tours to the site have been taking place increasingly, in greater numbers, with word-of-mouth publicity, a fact that we were able to confirm with great joy when we were there recently and Eiji-San informed us that they had already received During this period, various groups visit, including on weekdays. And, some scheduled for the next few days. Even tourism companies were interested in institutionalizing the tour within their normal schedules. I was very happy with the information.
Although it is still an emerging activity in Brazil, it can be said that it is a very promising business alternative. More and more people are looking for a different program, which will make them move away from the metropolis, with its hustle and bustle and pollution, in search of proximity to nature, to greenery. And, this possibility for people to experience the rural routine, knowing a little about the cultivation and production of agricultural products and fruits, being able to practice “harvest and pay”, widely adopted in the fishing segment, comes to reconcile the interests and needs of both sides – citizen/consumer and rural producer.
It cannot be said that the situation of small producers, in general, is comfortable and peaceful at this moment. The difficulties continue, but a more encouraging and less pessimistic scenario can now be seen for those who are looking for alternatives and are not satisfied with the current situation. Just look at our friend EIJI who, in addition to Rural Tourism, has already been thinking about partnerships with other producers, to cover the off-season and obtain extra revenue during the period. This, without mentioning that during this period, the wife and her sisters-in-law, within that warrior spirit and responsibility that Japanese descendants have, at the same time expanded the food business, supplying “obentôs” daily to convenience stores in the city center, in addition to intensifying the production of preserves, which are sold, along with “obentôs” at the various fairs, exhibitions and events that are held in the region.
It's the old and wise adage taken literally: a family that works together, wins and stays together.
© 2017 Katsuo Higuchi
