Territorial markets are embedded in societies as critical public spaces where traditional, healthy, medicinal, biodiverse crops are found, where smallholder farmers have the option to sell directly to consumers and reduce dependence on intermediaries, and consumers have a chance to buy fresh food directly from farmers at fair prices. 

Rooted in territories and communities, territorial markets have existed for millennia and go beyond economic exchange by strengthening socio-cultural ties, relationships between food producers and consumers, and harnessing trust and solidarity. Traditionally, these market systems build resilience for farmers, families and communities. But they are now increasingly threatened by a combination of forces.

Corporate concentration and underinvestment in municipal infrastructure has led to the neglect of territorial markets and localized food systems have lost some of their resilience. Global commodity markets and corporate-controlled supply chains are prioritized by public and private investors, leaving us all at risk. Finding solutions to these challenges calls for speed and urgency in supporting grassroots innovations. 

The Agroecology Fund supports collaborative initiatives in more than 90 countries globally, and this year, has escalated efforts to support the growth and strengthening of agroecology economies. During our recent webinar ‘Territorial Markets – Healthy Food, Real Relationships, and a Fair Deal’, attended by nearly 400 participants from 71 countries, we learned about grantee partner initiatives to strengthen territorial markets and the challenges of scaling this key component of local food systems across diverse countries, regions and territories.

Through the advocacy of farmers and consumers – often working closely with local governments – territorial markets are enjoying an overdue renaissance. The markets have evolved and take many forms – from municipal plazas to WhatsApp platforms to purchase local foods to public purchasing programs to a seed exchange fair  We heard from grassroots, farmer-led networks from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, from countries including Sri Lanka, Benin, Mali and Peru, about their experience revitalizing fresh food markets and strengthening links among farmers, consumers, and public officials. 

Against this backdrop, the Human Development Organization (HDO), a development organization working with the marginalized communities including tea plantation workers in Sri Lanka to promote their right to food, spoke about working with minority women plantation workers to grow and market agroecological products. 

Women tea plantation laborers historically have had little experience cultivating food agroecologically. Through territorial markets, this initiative supports the transition from worker to farmer, and from farmer to entrepreneur for women. There has been tremendous progress over the last five years. 

Les Jardins de l’Espoir, Benin showcased their intervention, Eden’s Farmers Market, and how they used digital channels and social media to launch the initiative and raise its visibility. Participants heard about how the market has evolved and improved, and the challenges and opportunities towards creating healthy and sustainable food systems. 

Working in collaboration with several networks and organisations, Les Jardins de l’Espoir shared how their focus on agroecology “is helping us to protect biodiversity, nature-friendly food systems, inclusive food systems, as well as commercial systems that offer favourable and sustainable price points. Since 2021, we have been expanding the network to ensure that as many farmers have access to Eden Farmers Market as possible.”

The Asociación ANDES, Peru shared about the network of Eco Markets they are creating across the country.

ANDES shared how their markets target, “ people in the lower income bracket. We have a standard for fixing prices across different regions. Our products are recognizable through the logo and our Fruit of the Earth markets – where we ….  encourage and facilitate barter trade. We also participate in eco fairs where we educate consumers about the health benefits of agroecological foods.” 

We also learned about the main findings of the “Food from Somewhere” report, launched by The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food). 

Speaking to findings from the report, Shalmali Guttal from IPES Food observed, “Global corporate food chains have demonstrated catastrophic vulnerability to shocks, while bringing unhealthy, ultra-processed food into the markets. We need a shift to a completely new model of food provision – to resilient, localised food systems and food webs.” She stressed the need to encourage consumers to buy directly from producers and to push governments to create an enabling policy environment for territorial markets.

“There are many kinds of territorial markets such as mass marketing spaces like public markets, informal markets, street vendors, farmers markets, peasant markets, wet markets, specialty markets. Then there are bulk community spaces. There are food hubs, cooperatives and network markets. There are also independent local businesses and direct producers to consumer markets through community supported agriculture. There are also digital sales, farm shops, urban agriculture and a number of different channels with potential to actually build up territorial markets and territorial food systems to something much broader,” Guttal observed.

Further stating, the research showed that territorial markets build food security and resilience on multiple fronts—they demonstrate increased food access, health equity and environmental benefits and at the same time, boost and support community solidarity and cohesion. They also make food accessible and affordable, especially for low-income populations.

“Territorial markets support decent prices and steady incomes for producers, especially women and youth. In Thailand, for example, green farmers markets offer producers higher margins than big retailers and these green farmer markets in Thailand and across much of Southeast Asia account for 60 to 80 percent of the income of small-scale food producers and vendors,” Guttal shared. 

You can access the recording of this webinar and the previous webinars in our Agroecology Economies series here. 

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