Looking for the right price: the riverside commerce project form of autonomy and sustainability in the Middle Juruá (Amazonas – Brazil)

Abstract

The creation of the Extractive Reserves (RESEX) is the result of the organized social mobilization of the rubber tappers who fought for the guarantee of the territory, however the question of land was not the only need of this population, issues such as the flow of production for the generation of independence economy of extractivists and their families, access to food, cleaning and personal hygiene products, durable consumer goods, were and  still been topics of debate and articulation in the context of the Middle Juruá region. In this article, only one of the existing experiences in the Middle Juruá will be presented. This experience, which started from collective action and social mobilization to guarantee rights and reduce social vulnerabilities is the project entitled Riverside Trade. This is a qualitative research, developed through fieldwork carried out during a commercialization trip of the Riverside Trade Project conducted by ASPROC. The Riverside Trade presents itself as an important strategy for ensuring economic sustainability and food security in the Middle Juruá region, representing an important social technology to break with traditional aviation systems and the coronelismo of rubber that marked the history of the Juruá River. Its implementation presents numerous challenges mainly related to logistics and access to communities, but these are resolved on a daily basis through articulations between associations and local institutions. The proposal as itself gives a new meaning to commercialization and labor relations in the region, making them more fraternal, fair and solidary with the region's populations. In addition to commercialization, riverside trade represents a successful experience in the Amazon in terms of participatory territorial management and also trough the autonomy in labor and production relations.