The Laços do Agro platform, which connects small producers from 50 cities in Paraná to the consumer market, has just completed two years of operation, standing out as an essential tool for the integration of cooperatives and the promotion of sustainable growth for small rural producers. The initiative already envisions a million-dollar revenue and significant improvements for the future.
Brazilian agribusiness, responsible for 21.1% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is heavily driven by family farming. It is estimated that 5% of this total originates from the properties of small rural entrepreneurs, who supply fresh vegetables, ground coffee, and milk in small bottles. Data on Family Agriculture and Cooperativism reinforce the crucial role of these small farmers in the national economy.
In Paraná, the Laços do Agro platform has been essential in connecting the countryside to the purchasing market. The initiative, which brings together producers and cooperatives, shortens the distances between production and buyers, facilitating inventory management, sales contracts, and delivery schedules.
“The Laços do Agro project has achieved excellent results, with the participation of more than 50 cities and more than 700 producers who have downloaded the app. In addition, more than 20 cooperatives are using the solutions offered by Laços do Agro to improve the management of production inventory, sales contracts and delivery schedules,” explains Leandro Scalabrin, CEO of the SWA group, a technology company based in Paraná, specialized in software development.
For 2024, Laços do Agro expects revenue exceeding R$3 million, with the goal of reaching 200 cooperatives and over 20,000 producers. "We are committed to improving our indicator dashboards to assist governments in developing public policies focused on family farming. With more accurate and comprehensive data, we will be able to provide relevant and up-to-date information, enabling governments to make more assertive and effective decisions," explains Scalabrin.
A Laços do Agro is a mobile-accessible platform that improves efficiency, transparency, and communication among producers, cooperatives, and agricultural technicians. With resources to manage sales contracts, track delivery schedules, and control payments, the platform allows identifying products already marketed, enabling interested farmers to express their willingness to cultivate them.
“The clear and intuitive layout allows workers to clearly visualize their planned delivery dates and record each step of their production activities. The platform also notifies the cooperative of incidents that may affect the delivery schedule,” says Scalabrin.
The agricultural technicians, together with representatives from Laços do Agro, schedule visits, monitor the production schedule and activities, generate individual visit reports, track contractual allocations and clients, and receive immediate notifications about any incidents in production. This simplifies the management of all phases of the production process.
“We seek to provide guaranteed sales and empower small producers, inserting them into larger markets. We want to show that it is not necessary to be a giant producer to have security in the field and achieve good results”, celebrates Scalabrin.
Entrepreneurship History
Leandro Scalabrin, the son of farmers, saw in the difficult situation faced by his family an opportunity to undertake and promote the development of the region where he lived, in Realeza, Paraná. With determination and vision, he started a new business that brought prosperity to his family and contributed to the local economic growth.
“Each harvest brought the same challenges: will we sell? What will the price be? How to plan? Even though my parents were simple people from the countryside, they always encouraged me and my siblings to study and learn. When I had the opportunity to go to the city to pursue my studies, these concerns always kept me awake at night,” explains Scalabrin.
With studies completed and working in technology, Scalabrin sought ways to turn field problems into solutions. "Today, we are confident that the platform brings together several small producers, makes them big, guarantees the quality of the product, and ensures that the rural producer will sell every plant of vegetables," he highlights.
Laços do Agro continues to grow and consolidate itself as a vital tool for family farming in Paraná, promoting efficient integration between producers and the consumer market.
