-The objective of this study was to identify groups of technologically homogeneous milk producers in the State of Goiás and calculate the gains for inefficient producers, considering the ones of better performance (benchmarks) with the same technological level, i.e., in the short term, and the benchmarks in higher technological level, i.e., in the long term. Multivariate statistical analysis techniques were used for the formation of homogeneous producer groups and multi-stage model of data envelopment analysis (DEA) for the estimation of efficiency scores and identification of benchmarks. The results indicated the formation of four groups of producers and indicate that, on average, the dairy farming in Goiás presents mainly characteristics of traditional, less specialized production. Estimated average efficiency for producers as a whole, or efficiency of long-term, was 0.571. The short-term results vary according to the group analyzed, but were higher than the long-term values, indicating that the factor analysis promoted technological homogeneity between the producers of the same group. Results showed a trend in dairy farming of Goiás towards adequacy of the input/output ratio to the standards of less capitalintensive production systems.

Os choques internacionais da última década podem ter afetado as exportaçõesbrasileiras de carne suína, assim, o objetivo desse trabalho foi analisar o efeito desseschoques. Dá-se ênfase aos choques mais recentes como a crise econômica internacionale a influenza A (H1N1). Analisou-se o impacto sobre os preços de exportação e asquantidades exportadas de carne suína para os dois principais mercados de destino:Rússia e Hong Kong. A teoria do comércio internacional foi utilizada como marcoteórico e a análise de intervenção forneceu o suporte metodológico. Constatou-se que asquantidades exportadas para Rússia não foram afetadas pelos recentes choquesinternacionais, enquanto os preços de exportação foram negativamente afetados peloefeito transitório da crise. Para Hong Kong, os resultados indicam que o efeito transitórioda crise foi negativo tanto para a quantidade exportada quanto para os preços deexportação, já a influenza A (H1N1) afetou negativamente apenas as quantidadesexportadas.

The article analyzes the operation of sunflower agri-food chains in Brazil to understand possible ways to supply innovative sunflower food protein from Brazil. The findings from a multiple-case study approach show that the dynamic of operation of Brazilian sunflower agri-food chains are based on contracts, social network and knowledge diffusion. Although necessary, this governance arrangement has not been able to guarantee a sustainable long-term operation due to market, technological and supply chain management bottlenecks. Regional characteristics influence the level of transaction costs and the role of inputs suppliers in the chains’ operation. The introduction of high value-added food protein products could raise the comparative advantage of sunflower in relation to competing crops, benefiting the chain operation. This article contributes to the understanding of the operation of agri-food chains focused on new or non-established crops, besides reinforcing the complementarity of transaction costs economics and social networks in explaining the functioning of social-economic systems.

Abstract:The growing international food demand, the call for plant proteins to improve sustainability, the technological possibilities for sunflower protein ingredients, and the prominent role of Brazil in the world agricultural supply constitute the research background of this article. The aim is to analyze the process of establishment of the major sunflower agri-food chain in Brazil, seeking to support the future development of new sunflower chains to meet an expected increasing demand for high-quality sunflower proteins. A case study research design was applied, involving interviews with stakeholders from the input, farming, and processing segments. Moreover, the case analysis was guided by an analytical framework that regards the agri-food chain establishment as an entrepreneurial process. The findings show that the successful process of the sunflower agri-food chain establishment in Mato Grosso (MT) stems from a set of interconnected driving forces composed of entrepreneurial skills, social network, resource availability, and crop suitability. Furthermore, the analysis indicates the potential for the development of new sunflower chains among soybean farmers from other regions in MT, especially if new sunflower protein food ingredients lead to higher sunflowers prices, which would make this crop economically more attractive. Finally, this case study suggests that the collective establishment of agri-food chains is a challenging endeavor, especially if conducted by outside actors.

O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar como o preço internacionalda soja e a taxa de câmbio influenciaram a formação dos preços domésticosda soja nos estados de Mato Grosso, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul e Goiás, osmaiores produtores dessa commodity no Brasil, de 1996 a 2011. Para isso,foram utilizados o modelo de correção de erro vetorial (VEC) e o Teste deCausalidade de Granger. Os resultados indicaram que variações no preçointernacional da soja e na taxa de câmbio afetaram os preços da soja nos quatroestados e que Mato Grosso foi o único cujo preço não sofreu influência dosdemais estados. Variações no mercado internacional de soja e no mercado decâmbio são repassadas integralmente aos preços domésticos no longo prazo,sendo estes preços mais influenciados pelo preço internacional. No curtoprazo, os mercados seguiram a relação de preço de Mato Grosso com o preçointernacional e a taxa de câmbio.

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