Participatory system for organic certification as an organizational Eco-Innovation: drivers and motivations

Abstract Purpose: Brazil follows traditional agriculture, being responsible for the most relentless consumption of pesticides in the world. Rural farmers are often affected by intoxication, in addition to economic and financial dependence of small producers on large agroindustrial groups that represent agribusiness in Brazil. Given the growing demand for food and the need to assure a sustainable production, with good conditions for farmers and better food for consumers, new organizational forms are being chased, in which ecoinnovation and post-growth can be allied. In addition, after the context of COVID-19 pandemic, the need for reorienting actions from rural farmers and alternative networks towards a closer relationship to customers, more efficient marketing of their products and food distribution were emphasized (Belik, 2020). In addition to private certification, in Brazil it is institutionalized the Participatory Guarantee System for organic certification. It was created by cooperatives and associations, based on self-regulation, group participation and monitoring, and local sustainability, being considered as an organizational eco-innovation in this context. The research question that guides this study is: What drives the adoption of participatory organic certification by rural farmers? In that sense, we aim to understand their motivations to identify characteristics of postgrowth literature. Our analysis will comply with eco-innovation, post-growth and institutional theory. Methodology: Data collection with certified farmers and associations is being made through interviews, following a semi-structured interview guide. Interview guide is based on the literature about drivers for adoption of eco-innovation, institutional theory and post-growth. Interviews will be transcribed and analysed through content analysis.