PhD Thesis of Adriana de Souza (2013) Tutor Maurizio Canavari - PhD Associated Professor - Department of Agricultural Sciences.Correlator Prof. John Wilkinson, Universidade Federal Rural De Rio De Janeiro.
This research aims to explore the possibility to evaluate the value of the region known as Vale do Paraiba Fluminense/Rio de Janeiro/Brazil or "Vale do Café" and to highlight the potential of coffee as a high quality product with environmental friendly and social responsibility features. The coffee from this area is a cultural heritage that may provide a valuable economic resource for the area.
The first phase of the research was carried out by using secondary data and in the second phase we applied Participatory Methodology according to the FAO using on-line questionnaires to identify the connection among the origin area, the local products and the possibility to use its natural resource for the development.
For qualitative analysis, we interviewed the representatives of the different categories of stakeholders to gain the context of the historical context of the region.
Finally, we conducted a quantitative survey with coffee consumers using the questionnaire.
The finding indicates that the territory could reintroduce a historical café as a symbol of wealth and decadence of that region and as an element of local economic potentials, exploiting the immaterial part of agricultural history, reintroducing the product in the local memory, drawing the population to get close to their history, particularly to raise their awareness of the value of the geographical name "Vale do Paraiba Fluminense" or "Vale do Café" affiliated to the history of the region, and the coffee product that aims to revive favor of the territory, relocating the geographical name.