Do we enjoy or exhaust ourselves in the community experience? The reproduction of values in solidarity-based agri-food models in Portugal
Filipe Olival
William Raj
November 24, 2022, 15:00 (GMT)
online event
Comments: Pedro Hespanha and Luciane Lucas dos Santos (CES)
Presentation
In this seminar, we present some reflections on the (re)production of values (use value, exchange value and ethical values) in grassroots communities that aim to build alternatives to the capitalist agri-food model in Portugal. We focus on our experiences with Rizoma Cooperativa Integral, in Lisbon, and with three Associations for the Maintenance of Nearby Agriculture in Palmela, Alvalade and Montemor-o-Novo for this purpose. We discuss, in particular, how such (re)production of values and the tensions that emerge between divergent values are manifested in the decision-making processes and self-organization of work in these initiatives, and what are the effects generated in the experience of their participants. The experiences brought to the debate illustrate everyday and structural factors that (dis)encourage involvement in social and solidarity economy experiences in contemporary Portugal.
biographical note
Guilherme Raj is Brazilian, born in Rio de Janeiro, and is in the 3rd year of his PhD at the University of Utrecht, Netherlands. His research focuses on power relations within grassroots communities in the agri-food sector, and how such relations influence processes of social transformation that emerge from these collective dynamics. In particular, transformations towards (a) post-capitalist labor relations, (b) queer empowerment in local agri-food systems, and (c) greater appreciation of the role of women producers in the construction of collective experiences. Guilherme is a member of the integral cooperative Rizoma, in Lisbon, and is involved with different AMAPs in Portugal and Italy as part of his research.
Filipe Olival, born on the island of Madeira, is a doctoral candidate at the University of Coimbra and an associate member of the Center for Research in Anthropology. His research focuses on the tensions between the production of mercantile value and the reproduction of ethical values in community economy projects, questioning the possibilities of maintaining an economic activity based, not on profit, but on democratic decisions that reflect the values of the community itself. His case studies are the integral cooperatives Rizoma and Minga, and AMAP Maravilha.
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This activity is carried out through the Zoom platform, without mandatory registration. However, it is limited to the number of seats available > https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84676297342 | ID: 846 7629 7342 | Password: 162176