Calculation, qualculation, calqulation: em um mercado de alimentação local

Abstract

Farmer markets are used to promote local food that is emerging as a phenomenon (of investigation). This research was developed in a farmer market in São João del-Rei, Brazil, inspired by the actor network theory (ANT) and its consequent conceptual development, agency. The aim was to describe how calculation is made for foods. The material collected consists of Interviews, documental analysis, observation and content analysis. The research demonstrated a variety of calculation, calculation-qualculationcalqualation, (Cochoy, 2010) which act on the pricing. Findings showed that is possible studying price without, however, demonstrating numeric variables, that product costs are barely considered by farmers, that price comparison between farmers, wholesale price and retail price are strongly used on calculation. Therefore, there are various conflicting agents and calculative agencies and it is complex to delimitate the boundary of each one.