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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the forms of coordinating transactions used by a large beef slaughterhouse and processing companies and their suppliers of beef cattle, and to identify the reasons for the adoption of plural forms of governance for their transactions with cattle suppliers. Design/methodology/approach – A case study format was selected for this investigation. The focal company selected offers a large number of products derived from beef for different commercialisation channels in the domestic and foreign market. A non-probability sample of 30 suppliers (cattle farmers) of the focal company provided data on finished steers sold in 2010, according to the three types of governance used in the transactions (spot market, forward contracts and long-term contracts). Findings – The simultaneous use of more than one type of governance structure to coordinate similar transactions has been termed plural forms of governance in the literature. In Brazil, new forms of governance, such as formal and informal contracts, have been adopted for transactions between beef processing companies and cattle farmers, in addition to the use of spot market and vertical integration. It has been shown that the adoption of plural forms reduces the risk of complex transactions; and is a strategy to deal with unpredictable institutional environments and high heterogeneity of both suppliers and distribution channels. Research limitations/implications – The research provides empirical evidence of plural forms of governance, as well as the reasons for the adoption of this strategy by firms, which contributes to the ongoing theoretical discussion on this subject. Practical implications – The paper has implications for company supply chain management. Originality/value – This paper presents theoretical review on plural forms of governance, new empirical evidence and determinant factors for their adoption.

RESUMO A oscilação não favorável nos preços do boi gordo se constitui em um dos principais riscos da atividade pecuária. De forma a gerenciar tal risco, contratos a termo e futuros

Este trabalho tem o objetivo principal de identificar os determinantes da demanda e do acesso ao crédito rural por bovinocultores de corte no estado de São Paulo. Para atingir tal objetivo, foram coletados dados primários por meio de entrevistas presenciais junto a uma amostra de 86 pecuaristas. Os dados foram analisados por meio de um modelo logit. Constatou-se que todos os pecuaristas que demandaram crédito rural obtiveram acesso a pelo menos um contrato. Os resultados mostraram que pecuaristas que têm maior número de propriedades rurais, maior intensidade em tecnologia na produção, fontes de renda oriunda de atividades não rurais, são mais novos, adotam gestão de risco de preço e participam de organizações associativas relacionadas à produção rural possuem maior probabilidade de demandar e acessar o crédito rural. Por fim, foram apresentadas algumas sugestões para a política de crédito rural para a pecuária de corte no estado de São Paulo.

A transaction cost economics framework was used to test hypotheses on the alignment of transaction attributes and governance structures using data from a sample of 84 beef cattle farms in Brazil. A bivariate logit model was employed. It was found that the adoption of traceability and its certification and highly capital-intensive production systems, used here as proxies for asset specificity, plays a positive role in the choice of hybrid forms of governance.

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Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of agricultural insurance adoption by farmers of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Design/methodology/approach Primary data from the 2015/2016 crop season was collected from a sample of 175 farmers. Logit econometric models were applied to identify the variables that affect the probability of agricultural insurance adoption. Findings The empirical results show that the education level, access to technical assistance, use of management tools and farm size positively affect the probability of adopting agricultural insurance. In addition, farmers who produce soybean and/or corn are more likely to use insurance. On the other hand, the higher the farmers’ propensity to take risk the lower the likelihood of using insurance. Research limitations/implications The empirical analysis is based on cross-sectional data of a sample of 175 farmers of the state of São Paulo. The use of panel data with a larger sample of farmers, considering a period of years, could provide additional information. Originality/value To the best of the knowledge, this is the first empirical analysis about determinants of agricultural insurance adoption by Brazilian farmers, considering behavioral factors. The findings provide useful insights for policymakers in formulating risk management programs in the Brazilian agricultural markets. A better understanding about the determinants of insurance adoption is also relevant for private companies that sell insurance to farmers. Therefore, the paper may contribute with the diffusion of rural insurance as risk management tool in Brazilian agriculture.

Resumo-A seleção de espécies florestais adequadas é de fundamental importância para o sucesso dos sistemas silvipastoris. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desenvolvimento inicial de espécies florestais nativas escolhidas pelo valor econômico e aporte de nitrogênio, plantadas em pastagem. Mudas foram plantadas em faixas com três linhas de árvores. As áreas de 15 m entre as faixas de árvores eram ocupadas por pastagem. A partir da avaliação de crescimento em altura, em diâmetro da base, danos por insetos ou por doenças, registrouse melhor desempenho inicial de canafístula (Peltophorum dubium), pau-jacaré (Piptadenia gonoacantha), mutambo (Guazuma ulmifolia) e capixingui (Croton floribundus). O ipê-felpudo (Zeyheria tuberculosa) teve o pior desempenho nas condições estudadas. A taxa de sobrevivência em onze meses do pau-jacaré foi inferior a 50%. Termos para indexação: Arborização de pastagens, madeira, pecuária.