Mercados alimentares na Amazônia ocidental: desafios da digitalização e estratégias possíveis

The digitalization of production chains has been widely discussed over the last decade, with significant impacts on the field of food markets. However, in the Northern region of Brazil, this scenario has not yet materialized, with recent research indicating the near non-existence of digital markets. Aiming to better understand this reality, this article analyzes the challenges of digitalization in agricultural markets in the Brazilian Western Amazon, specifically in the South of Amazonas State. The empirical research was based on 40 interviews conducted with two groups of farmers: coffee growers in Apuí and açaí producers in Manicoré, municipalities that present divergent logistical contexts. The results demonstrate that the digitalization of Amazonian food markets is not limited solely by low connectivity, but, above all, by precarious logistical infrastructure, both fluvial and road-based. This condition reveals the existence of a severe logistics-digital debt in the Western Amazon, where digital exclusion is compounded by logistical exclusion. Strategies to overcome this situation include strengthening transport networks, developing multimodal models, and encouraging collective organizations to operate the digitalization, aiming to reduce dependence on intermediaries and promote sustainable food systems.