The goal of the workshop on Communication Strategies for Artisanal, Community, and Family Products, held by ISPN in early July in the city of Carolina, Maranhão, in partnership with Slow Food Brazil, was to empower organizations to achieve better visual and narrative communication about their food and products, thereby improving their communication and fostering closer relationships between rural producers and end consumers. Thirty-four people, including farmers and technicians from different organizations and territories – beneficiaries of the ISPN PPP-ECOS Fund – participated in the training. The products developed by the participants in their communities included honey, flour, babassu derivatives, fruit pulps, and vegetables.
“These moments of knowledge building are one of the gains we have with the PPP-ECOS strategy. These exchanges through meetings and collaborations add to the support we give to projects and are a fundamental part of strengthening community initiatives. Knowledge management is a key element in supporting eco-social projects,” comments Juliana Napolitano, technical advisor at ISPN.
Starting from the idea that the quality of a food product begins at its origin, from cultivation and production to the territory, narratives and communication strategies are built for the products, from their commercialization to their arrival to the consumer, with the involvement and participation of producers at all stages. In this sense, it is important to enhance the communication of the foods they sell, through the combination of visual and narrative elements, adding symbolic, affective, and nutritional value to the products.
“Training like this shows us the importance of investing in the productive narratives of family farmers and traditional communities. In their backyards, forms of production emerge that enchant and prove that the food that comes from this land is rich not only in nutrients, but also in stories. It is necessary for these groups to be able to increasingly communicate and publicize their production. This is essential to democratize access to these healthy foods, while at the same time generating more income in their territories,” comments Napolitano.
The workshop took place within the PPP-ECOS strategy and received financial support from the Amazon Fund. Slow Food Brazil led the event.