O processo produtivo de cachaça artesanal na comunidade rural de sítio- distrito de Brejo do Amparo- Januária (MG)

Abstract

In this research we carried out an understanding of the rural space of the community of Sítio, located in the district of Brejo do Amparo in Januária-MG, through the universe of artisanal production of cachaça and brown sugar, products that carry the identity of the people of northern Minas Gerais. The research had a dynamic of empirical and analytical observations of the reality of the rural environment, in a region that, historically, the production of sugar cane is intended for artisanal cachaça and rapadura, being a source of pride for the local community and origin of a series of brands that carry within them a centuries-old productive memory. We carried out the analysis of data from the agricultural census of the production of cachaça and brown sugar, which has a specific growth, making it a means of survival for people in the rural community of Sítio. Strategies for field research involved orality, in the sense of asking, listening and observing. Direct observations were made in the productive units, in order to identify practices that demonstrate the implications of this productive organization, the permanence/existence and market insertion strategies. Peasant family farmers live off/in the countryside, use natural conditions and practices derived from cultural knowledge to continue producing in the current agricultural context (2021). The Januária Municipal Market plays an important role in the commercialization of typical products of Minas Gerais cuisine, and also plays an important role in the commercialization of traditional products that refer to the homemade, artisanal and carry the warmth of the culture and symbolism of the field. The artisanal production of cachaça and rapadura constitute a cultural legacy for those who manufacture and consume it, thus, this thesis argues that the rural area of the community of Sítio, where the largest portion of the production of artisanal cachaça and rapadura from Januária/MG, is marked by the integration and sociability of the community with the territory and these agro-craft products constitute a productive dynamic that places them at the level of cultural heritage