THE ROLE OF SALES APPLICATIONS IN THE MARKETING OF PRODUCTS BY SMALL PRODUCERS AND STREET MARKET VENDORS

Abstract

Family farming plays a central role in food production, rural development, and sociocultural preservation, yet it faces structural challenges that limit its access to broader markets. The Covid-19 pandemic intensified these difficulties by interrupting activities, highlighting the need for digital alternatives to sustain commercialization. In this context, the present study aimed to analyze how scientific literature published between 2019 and 2024 addresses the use of sales applications in family farming, emphasizing their impacts, challenges, and potential. To achieve this, a bibliographic review with a qualitative approach was conducted, enabling the identification of trends, gaps, and relevant contributions on rural digitalization. The results show that digital tools expand dissemination opportunities, strengthen connections between producers and consumers, and promote short supply chains, while also enabling the reduction of intermediaries and enhancing commercial autonomy. However, the adoption of these technologies remains limited by factors such as lack of connectivity, inadequate infrastructure, low digital literacy, access costs, and territorial inequalities, which prevent many farmers from fully participating in the digital economy. Although sales applications offer significant potential to strengthen family farming, their effectiveness depends on public policies, structural investments, collective organization, and continuous training strategies. Therefore, digital inclusion in rural areas is essential to increase small producers’ participation in fairer and more sustainable markets, as well as to guide future research aimed at reducing inequalities and promoting rural development.