Alagoa´s artisanal cheese, from tradition to the future - a market evolution

Enter multiple e-mails separated by comma.

imagem

Photo: Maria de Fátima, Pires

Surveys carried out by Emater-MG (Corporation of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension of the State of Minas Gerais0) estimate that in the State of Minas Gerais there are approximately 30 thousand artisanal cheese producers. Recent studies in Alagoa-MG and neighboring municipalities characterized the region's milk and cheese production systems in terms of environment (climate, relief, water, soil, etc.) and aspects related to social (producers), microbiological (water, milk, yeast, brine and cheese in different stages of maturation) and economic profiles. These studies allowed the recognition and establishment of technical regulations for Identity and Quality of artisanal cheese from Alagoa and Mantiqueira de Minas. With the evolution of the process and, meeting the demand of producers, in particular those associated with APROALAGOA (Association of Rural Producers of Alagoa), this project proposes to develop digital solutions as one of the alternatives for marketing these artisanal cheese. Initially, the market and commercialization channels are being studied and mapped, seeking to concentrate this entire process in a specific location, allowing the registration of customers and expanding the forms of payment and the business relationship among producers and customers (many of which are the final consumers of the product). The proposal is the development of a web software (institutional site) and an e-commerce platform setup, to be managed by APROALAGOA, and to be made available to producers and customers. APROALAGOA's institutional website is being developed in terms of layout and content, as a subsidy for the formulation of digital marketing strategies. The setup on the e-commerce platform is being built through the initial configuration of the store for the digital management of commercialization. After meetings among the project team, the technician from Emater-MG assigned to work in Alagoa and the associates of APROALAGOA, the digital marketing plan was started by making available to Appta Marketing Digital (i.e. the company responsible for the development of the website) the access credentials to the social networks of APROALAGOA. At the same time, questionnaires were applied to 22 associated cheese producers and information was collected to identify the typology of markets accessed by producers. Characterizations were made on the “customers” of the product (i.e. retailers, intermediaries and end consumers), sales volume for each segment, time of commercial relationship with the marketing channel, and agreed payment methods, among other aspects. Thus, from the knowledge of the marketing relations of artisanal cheese producers in Alagoa, the prospect of commercialization through organized digital means arises, shortening the sales chain and enabling the increase of cheese producers' income.

Status: Completed Start date: Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2021 Conclusion date: Mon Jul 31 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2023

Head Unit: Embrapa Dairy Cattle

Project leader: Maria de Fatima Avila Pires

Contact: maria.pires@embrapa.br

Image gallery