FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN TRACEABILITY: A multiple case study from Alto Tietê Region, Brazil

The Brazilian government agents required the restructuring of the food supply chain to apply traceability into production process. However, the Alto Tietê family farmers were not prepared to meet the government's requirement. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the adequacy of the family farmer to the traceability process. To do this, we conduct a multiple case study with family farmers using the questionnaire that was approved by Ethics Committee (nº 4.118.650/2020). The questionnaire was structured in three parts: first related to social economics aspect, second related the productions process aspect, and the last part related to food supply chain traceability and the governments requirements. Nine family farmers participated the research, and the mainly results showed that the most farmers not finished the primary school, which this could affect the knowledge to apply traceability. Considering production process, 89% of farmers applying the conventional techniques and they not received any technical assistance from government. All producers have the knowledge about the requirement of the traceability, however they not know how to do due the Brazilian pesticides system is not structured and there are not all vegetable and fruits pesticides register to farmers using in production. In addition, the farmers do not have a good evaluation in terms of market gain. In conclusion, the traceability in Alto Tietê food supply chain will be possible when the government created a structure to adequate the pesticides system and the traceability law, and provide the training and support to rural family involves in food supply chain.