Social economy and marketing for organic products in Cusco, Peru. ¿Initial steps to developing an alternative strategy?

Abstract

Since 2010, the marketing channels for organic products in the city of Cusco, in southern Peruvian Andes, have been multiplying and diversifying: eco-fairs, specialty stores, organic food baskets, directs sales to restaurants, etc. Most of the demand comes from tourists and resident foreigners but also from some Peruvian residents. Some of these marketing experiences relate to the principles of social economy. In this paper we study to what extent these principles are being implemented successfully and we try to assess the socio-economic impacts of these initiatives at the territorial level. On the one hand, new commercial and social relations are emerging but, on the other hand, these experiences remain marginal and fragile: they include few producers, are affected by organizational problems, are lacking public support and certification systems, etc. These difficulties raise questions about the sustainability of these initiatives and their socially-oriented dimension. However, solutions based on these new dynamics can also be identified.