Characterization of the agroproductive system of Casabe in Eastern Venezuela

Abstract

We approached the agro-productive-food system of casabe, a product obtained from cassava (Manihot esculenta) and considered an element of great historical and cultural value in the Venezuelan diet. The social research method was used by means of an in-depth interview with the personnel of 64 casabe production units (UPC) distributed in four eastern Venezuelan states.  It was observed that 79.68% (n=51) were peasant families grouped in establishments where cassava is produced using artisanal methods, and that 20.31% (n=13) were organized in small companies with some machinery that allowed semi-industrial processing. 90.62% (n=58) of the respondents harvested cassava within low-intervention, low-impact agroecosystems integrated with other species such as maize and beans; while 9.37% (n=6) had used agricultural pesticides. Although 25% (n=16) have gas installations for cooking cassava, they are underutilized due to difficulties with access to fuel, so the vast majority continue to use firewood as an energy source. The 73.43% (n=47) of the producers depend on intermediaries for the commercialization of casabe, as they lack transportation to urban centers where its consumption is massified. Although they produce a highly valued food for which the final consumer pays a relatively high price, 70.31% (n=45) of the farming families are poor. It is concluded that casabe is derived from an agro-productive-food system with a strong agroecological character, whose visibility can help to optimize it from political, academic and gastronomic spheres and through responsible consumer platforms.