Empreendimentos econômicos solidários em Governador Valadares/MG: uma proposta de mapeamento

Abstract

This paper intends to outline a mapping of solidary enterprises in Governador Valadares and region, such as outlining the profile of the members of the movement and conducting a brief analysis of four associations that make up the solidary movement. For that, questionnaires were applied with the workers, as well as semi-structured interviews with managers, coordinators and former members of the associations. The sample consisted mostly of women over 40 years of age, with complete or incomplete high school and monthly family income between one and two minimum wages. Concerning the questions related to the perception of the interviewees about the Solidary Economy, 93% said they know the meaning of the term, 93% feel they belong to the solidary movement, 70% have already participated in seminars or other training on the subject, 74% participate in the meetings of the Regional Forum of Solidary Economy and 100% are interested in participating in a group that discusses solidary production forms. Among the associations visited, three are based on an associativism founded on agricultural activities, namely the Family Agriculture Fair, the Consumer Network Tamanduá and the Regional Cooperative for Solidary Economy of Agroecological Family Agriculture (CRESAFA). The fourth association was the Regional Forum of Solidary Economy, which takes place monthly and seeks to organize and represent the movement in the region. For the composition of the map of enterprises, eighteen associations and individual producers were described, based on data from the “Catalog of Solidary Enterprises” provided by the Municipal Development Secretariat and data collected during the visits.