Page 21 - Sicredi

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A estratégia das caixas rurais
O Brasil que viu surgir o cooperativismo de crédito, no iní­ cio do século 20, era um país agroexportador8, e essa característica predominou até 1930. No meio rural, onde vivia a maioria da po­ pulação, o cenário era extremamente limitador ao desenvolvimen­ to de qualquer atividade produtiva. Os agricultores sofriam com os baixos preços de seus produtos, que eram
bens primários de pouco valor agregado.
Ao mesmo tempo, não tinham acesso aos
manufaturados, que em geral eram im­
portados.
Nas comunidades rurais, o padre Theodor Amstad encontrou o terreno fér­ til para lançar as sementes de uma nova forma de organização dos pequenos pro­ dutores, estimulando a cooperação como
Memória
Looking back
O pioneiro padre Theodor Amstad
Strategy of rural banks
At the turn of the 20th century, when credit cooperativism was on the rise, Brazil was an agricultural exporter8, which continued until 1930. The situation in the countryside, where the majority of the population
lived, limited the development of agricultural activity. Farmers suffered from low prices for their products, which were commodities of low value. They also lacked access to manufactured goods, which were generally imported.
Yet it was in the rural areas that Father Theodor Amstad found fertile ground to develop a new way of organizing
small famers, encouraging cooperation as a way to overcome the structural deficiencies of the times.
Amstad brought Catholics and Protestants together in the same associations to confront challenges and pursue common goals. The Jesuit priest carried his ideas to the other side of the Uruguay River, in the State of Santa Catarina. The principles of cooperativism were spread mainly
in agricultural associations, such as Bauenverein9, which dates back to 1904 in Santa Cruz do Sul. These meetings with farmers resulted in the formation of various cooperatives, including those located in Lajeado (1906), Serro Azul (known today
as Cerro Largo, 1913), Santa Maria
Sicredi Serro Azul/Reprodução