Competitiveness drivers for soybean exportation and the fundamental role of the supply chain

Abstract

Brazil is the world’s second-largest producer of soybeans and the largest exporter. Despite the growing importance in the international market in the last harvests, activities related to this product threaten this position. Due to its economic importance for the country, this study aims to identify the competitiveness drivers of soybean destined for the international market and to measure their impacts on the export process. Therefore, the used methodology considers the systemic character of different factors that affect the supply chain positively or negatively. As a result, the logistics infrastructure dimension was the only competitiveness driver classified as unfavorable among the analyzed factors. The advances in agribusiness are being subsequently followed by some sectors of the economy such as science and technology. On the other hand, the logistics sector has not been showing the same development, causing some weaknesses to persist, either due to the lack of infrastructure of transport production, or the inability to properly store the national harvest. The current challenge for the State is to ensure the maintenance of the quality of the infrastructure already installed and to promote an environment capable of attracting private capital and a new investment cycle.

Evaluation of the operational efficiency of southeast intermodal terminals in the grain logistics chain using data envelopment analysis

“…These results complement the evidence of the present study, indicating a leadership of large terminals, in terms of reduced production, import and export costs, in order to easily reach the efficiency frontier. Yet, Filassi and de Oliveira (2021) used the estimation of drivers to classify the factors that impact the soybean transport logistics chain. In this sense, the authors agreed with the results presented in this study, specifically in pointing out the logistics infrastructure, as a key factor in determining the success of the flow activities, in the grain logistics chain.…”