Assessing the effects of Sello Manos Campesinas (Peasant-Hands Seal) on smallholders participating in the programme

The Sello Manos Campesinas programme aims to make peasant farming visible by certifying four attributes that consumers recognise as proper from peasant farmers: i.e. originated from peasant farmers, artisanal production, healthy, and fostering local development. Two years after beginning operations, we collected information from focus groups in regards to the motivations of farmers for participating in the programme. With this information, we constructed a survey to evaluate those motivations and assess the effects and changes brought about by the seal on farmers businesses. This survey was applied to 100 farmers throughout the country. We identified three motivations for applying to be certified under the programme: improving sales, valuing the product and the production process, and receiving a personal recognition. However, for all practical purposes, their motivations were mainly for trading: raising product value, access new sales channels, and selling more products at a better price. Our results show that farmers actually use and promote the seal and that sales figures are promising, in spite of the scarce promotion of this seal to consumers. This situation could be explained as this seal makes customers trust the product, hence transforming their purchasing intentions. Acknowledgement : This research was financed by FIDA MERCOSUR CLAEH programme.