Women have an active participation in the conversation circles promoted by IBS in the Cooplaf Leite Project
Contributing to Cooplaf’s social organization is one of the main objectives of the monthly meetings promoted by the Instituto BioSistêmico (IBS) in the Cooplaf Leite Project, among the groups of associated producers, in the region of Terenos, Mato Grosso do Sul.
The meetings, also called conversation circles, bring together groups from different settlements, which has facilitated the relationship between the cooperative and its members. By organizing the producers into groups, it is easier to understand and act on the demands of each group.
“We have achieved a good integration of the groups from the conversation circles that we promote monthly. This contemplates the objectives foreseen by the Zoetis Foundation regarding the strengthening of cooperativism by encouraging the participation of young people and women”, says Moacir Kretzmann, IBS consultant responsible for holding the meetings.
Moacir points out that the participation of women has been essential to raise awareness among producer families about the role that each one plays in the performance of the cooperative.
Female protagonism
The cooperative is presided over by a woman, the producer Maria Nelzira Garcia, who ensures that communication between members and Cooplaf is more direct and has significantly improved from the conversation circles of the different cores.
“Through these meetings, a good relationship between the cooperative, technical assistance and the producer has been built. With training on cooperativism, guidance and techniques, producers are more interested and prepared to promote improvements in production, as well as participate in the cooperative”, reports Maria Nelzira.
For producer Cassia Pancotti, leader of Núcleo Nova Querência and member of the Advisory Board of Cooplaf, the mobilization of the groups contributes to a better understanding on the part of the producers about the functioning of the cooperative and the role of each one in the organization and strengthening of the entity.
“We women are much more participatory in property activities and in strengthening cooperatives. Together with the cooperative, we look for courses for us women and our children, awakening among young people the interest in staying on the property, in addition to qualifying us to implement improvements in the property and prosper”, highlights Cassia.
According to producer Simone Xavier, leader of Núcleo São Pedro and member of Cooplaf's Advisory Board, the meetings promoted by IBS together with the cooperative help to show that each member is important, regardless of their position or the size of their production.
“These actions show young people and women that they have a lot to add to Cooplaf. And today, the cooperative members know that they can seek their rights at the meeting and that they will be heard. This motivates participation because one realizes that he or she is not left over but is actually adding up”, points out Simone.
About the project
The Cooplaf Leite Project was conceived by the Instituto BioSistêmico with the main objective of promoting the development of dairy farming among the cooperative members of the Cooperativa Agrícola Mista da Pecuária de Corte e Leiteira and Agricultura Familiar (Cooplaf), an entity headquartered in the municipality of Terenos, in state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in the Center-West region of Brazil.
Executed by IBS, the initiative has the support of resources from the Zoetis Foundation and the Brazilian Support Service for Micro and Small Enterprises (Sebrae) in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. It also receives institutional and academic support from Unimar – University of Marília.
This is another livestock project carried out by the Instituto BioSistêmico that uses the CheckMilk methodology, which has a platform with a management system and application for technical teams and producers. The system facilitates project management and the application helps the producer on a daily basis, as an extension of the IBS consultancy that can be accessed at any time in the palm of the hand.
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