Junta Local Food Fair is Back in Rio this Weekend

By Beatriz Miranda, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Junta Local food fair is back in Rio this weekend from April 21st to the 22nd. The event will bring small food producers to Cidade das Artes, in Barra, from 10AM to 7PM. The fair will also host discussions and shows, an agroecological practice, and a theatre production.

Since 2014, Junta Local has been inspiring Rio’s residents to improve their relationships with food. The fair teaches that eating well is also about strengthening producer-consumer relations.

Junta Local ensures artisanal food made by independent producers from Brazil. As well as being a political movement, Junta believes its food fair allows people to stand up for more fair economic exchanges.

Today, the fair gathers approximately 100 producers from Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul (Southern Brazil), Minas Gerais, Bahia and Pará (Northern Brazil). Among the participating products are ANIMALL’s homemade sausages; ketchup and mustard; Araucária’s homemade bread; Cogumelos Umami’s organic mushrooms; El Warak’s Arab dishes; NUU’s artisanal “pão de quiejo” (Brazilian cheese bread); and UMA’s fruit jams and pastas.

Fifty of the associated producers will take part in this Junta Local edition. On Saturday, April 21st, group “Hortas das Artes” will be showing how to make an agroecological garden, from 2PM to 4:30 PM. The drama company, “Arte Volante,” will perform at Cidade das Artes at 3PM, followed by the MPB band, Simpáticos, which will play music by the Brazilian artist, Jorge Ben Jor.

For visitors with children, there will be a collaborative picnic and fun activities with the play group, “BrincaCidade” on Sunday, April 22, from 11AM to 3PM. Afterwards, the band, Kosmo Coletivo Urbano, will present a lively fusion set, reggae, rock and jazz music.

On both days of event, there will be a talk with the collective, Fashion Revolution Brasil, about conscious consumption in fashion, at 2:30 PM.

What: “Junta Local” fair
When: April 21st and 22nd – 10AM to 7PM
Where: Cidade das Artes – Avenida das Américas, 5300 – Barra da Tijuca
Entrance: FREE