Free Trade Fairs: Usesand Spaces in the Growth of Esmeraldasto the South

Abstract

To analyze the availability of the use of municipal physical spaces by the Association of Small Producers and Introductors of Agricultural Products United for Change, located in the south of the city of Esmeraldas, a qualitative study was conducted to detail the current situation of associates to market goods and services at free fairs. For the collection of information it was necessary to interview the representatives of each sector, specifically to the president of the United for Change Association, as representative of the associates, and to the Director of Hygiene of the Decentralized Autonomous Government of the Municipality of Esmeraldas (GADME), as the one in charge of the control and operation of these businesses for sale to the public. As a result, it was obtained that the free fairs have been extended to this sector and that they require improvements due to the inadequate conditions of physical space, opening hours and types of products. On the other hand, the contribution of GADME to provide them with the necessary information was known, even though they use a physical space that has not yet been legally assigned. It is concluded that the association, through a cooperative work practice, has counteracted the difficulty of the lack of infrastructure to provide families in the south with a good product and service; they also expect that GADME considers them as tenants in the new construction project of the southern market.