BRANCO, Camila da Silva Vaz. The gastronomic perception of organic and agroecological foods - an exploratory study on production and consumption profiles. 2022. 132p. Dissertation (Mestrado em Agricultura Orgânica). Instituto de Agronomia, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, 2022.
Keywords: gastronomy; agroecology; ecogastronomy; organic agriculture.
Contemporary food has undergone several changes due to a search for food and production systems that are more in line with sustainable practices. In this sense, agroecology and organic agriculture are viable alternatives to conventional food production since they have the dimension of safeguarding the environment and preserving available natural resources. Considering these premises, we sought to evaluate the perception of foods of organic and agroecological origin by the actors most directly involved in the consumption and production of these foods: farmers, consumers of vegetable products and professionals who work with the preparation of these foods in professional kitchens (such as chefs and cooks). For this purpose, structured survey type questionnaires were applied, through a mixed methodology, involving a qualitative-quantitative approach, aiming to find out which criteria determine the use of these ingredients and what relationship the participants establish between agroecological and organic production with issues related to environmental preservation. In addition, we sought to assess whether gastronomy is perceived as a possible alternative to boost the consumption of these ingredients and what are the factors that hinder access to this type of food or production.