Family farming in the State of São Paulo is experiencing a historic moment. In 2025, PPAIS (Programa Paulista da Agricultura de Interesse Social) reached a record R$50.5 million in public purchases, a result that exceeds the sum of all investments made between 2020 and 2023.
With the brand, thousands of families find in the program the security of having someone to sell to. Thus, PPAIS provides guaranteed income to rural producers.
Coordinated by the Itesp Foundation and linked to the Department of Agriculture and Supply, PPAIS aims to guarantee a market for family farmers and cooperatives. Furthermore, the program also strengthens the supply of state public institutions with quality food originating from São Paulo.
The products purchased, such as milk, fruit and vegetables and, more recently, coffee, are destined for schools, universities and prisons, bringing the field closer to public policies and generating a direct impact on the income of producing families.
From 2020 to 2022, the amounts totaled just over R$30 million. In 2023, they reached R$17.2 million; the following year, R$20.4 million.
The jump to R$50.5 million in 2025 is due to several factors. Among them, the strengthening of public purchasing policies, the increase in the number of calls and the technical support offered to producers through Cati (Integrated Technical Assistance Coordination) and the Itesp Foundation. The bodies monitor the entire process from production planning to food delivery. Currently, around 40 cooperatives participate in the program.
The Government of São Paulo has introduced rural sanitation, with septic tanks, expanding access to credit with R$500 million from Feap (Agribusiness Expansion Fund) until 2025, advancing land regularization, with more than 4,500 titles delivered and valuing production with specific inspection seals for our artisanal chain.
The progress is also linked to two strategic actions of the current administration: the strengthening of the milk production chain and the inclusion of coffee among the products purchased by the program. In addition to increasing the purchase of milk by prison units and other state institutions, the government began purchasing roasted and ground coffee directly from family farming cooperatives, a product that gained relevance after the imposition of American tariffs on Brazilian coffee.
Coopercuesta, one of the benefiting cooperatives, reinforces that the measure represents a watershed for coffee growing in the region. “We produce 5,000 to 6,000 bags of coffee per year, but only 20% reach the international Fair Trade market. Now, with PPAIS, our expectation is that up to 80% of production will be processed, roasted, ground and sold on the domestic market, bringing stability, income and development to our region”says Luís Carlos Josepetti Bassetto, president of the cooperative.
According to the agrarian development analyst and program manager, Clóvis Etto, the significant growth is the result of joint work between Itesp and the Department of Agriculture. “While fruit and vegetable production has already been consolidated throughout the State, the priority now is to boost and strengthen the milk and coffee production chains, which directly contributed to this historic milestone”he states.
With the 2025 record, PPAIS reaffirms its role as a State policy, showing that strengthening production chains and valuing family farmers go hand in hand towards a fairer, more productive and sustainable field.
