Driving Sustainability in Dairy Farming from a TBL Perspective: Insights from a Case Study in the West Region of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Abstract

All companies in agribusiness supply chains need to be aware of the best use of available resources, which demands an integrated assessment of environmental, economic and social aspects, i.e., the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). Such analysis allows us to get a more balanced and complete understanding of the real performance of companies, supply chains and industries. Companies in the upstream of agribusinesses supply chains present some limitations, but can contribute significantly to the overall sustainability of the entire value chain. The objective of this research was to understand the role of the drivers of sustainability in dairy farming from a TBL perspective, such as assistance to producers and the value chain, and the use of better technology and management practices. A sample of 54 rural farms in the dairy supply chain of the western region of Santa Catarina, Brazil, was used to test four hypotheses about what can drive sustainability. Furthermore, first- and second-order structural equation models using SMART PLS software were used for the analysis of the data. The results obtained show that social sustainability is positively influenced by the use of good management practices, and the latter, as well as public policies, positively influence economic sustainability. Furthermore, it was found that improvements in production techniques positively influence environmental sustainability, and this is mostly influenced by the use of good management practices, and less so by policies directed at the supply chain. Finally, from the analysis of the second-order variable for sustainability, it was highlighted that the economic dimension prevails in the eyes of the farmers, as the main dimension of sustainability, and that environmental aspects are still neglected.

Strategic Actions for a Sustainable Internationalization of Agri-Food Supply Chains: The Case of the Dairy Industries from Brazil and Germany

“…This program was one of the first of its kind, but has been slowed down by excessive bureaucracy, excessively high interest rates, political disinterest of the actual government, and low public awareness [29]. Zanin et al [1] highlights that punctual initiatives of quality and sustainability are found at the company level, or in the case of some short duration regional actions. The program "Balde Cheio" (or Full Bucket in English) from EMBRAPA (Brazilian agricultural research company: https://www.embrapa.…”

“…International trade is framed by a set of rules and norms defined by international or bilateral agreements which companies doing business beyond their frontiers must respect. However, in addition to such rules and standards, companies are also urged to adhere to contemporary social values as well as environmental and moral principles and norms, which societies consider to be adequate in different parts of the world [1]. These issues have led to a discussion in recent years about the role of companies in society and the ethical foundations of economic management.…”

“…The scientific link between the internationalization of value chains in the form of FDI and sustainability is an area that has been little studied. There are studies such as those by Zanin et al and Favarin et al [1,10] that focus on the development of sustainability in the Brazilian dairy industry, but they do not address the opportunities for internationalization processes. On the other hand, there is research on the supply chain management of different industries discussed in the context of global value chains and multi-stakeholder initiatives, but with little or no focus on sustainability aspects [11,12].…”

Modelo De Constructo Para Análise Da Sustentabilidade Na Atividade Leiteira

“…Para Broccardo & Zicari (2020), a sustentabilidade vive um momento de rompimento de paradigmas, ou seja, passou de um tema discutido apenas no âmbito acadêmico para um tema conhecido como propulsor da criação de valor, sobretudo em pequenos produtores rurais (Zanin, Dal Magro, Kleinibing Bugalho, Morlin, Afonso & Sztando, 2020) e pequenas empresas (De Camargo, Zanin, Mazzioni, De Moura & Afonso, 2018) que procuram aliar práticas de sustentabilidade a um método alternativo de produção, tendo por base a relação de trabalho justa e transparente, além de contribuir para melhoria de condições de vida dos produtores de países em desenvolvimento (Sama, Crespo-Cebada, Díaz-Caro, Escribano & Mesías, 2018). Essa prática produtiva, conhecida como comercio justo informa ao consumidor final que os produtos que estão sendo adquiridos foram obtidos usando sistemas de produção que atingem os objetivos socioambientais (Dragusanu, Giovannucci & Nunn, 2014;Ramos, Afonso & Rodrigues, 2020).…”

“…Já a atividade leiteira, por desenvolver outras atividades pecuárias e agrícolas dentro de um mesmo campo de análise, é considerada uma atividade complexa (Yamaguchi, Oliveira & Martins, 2005). Nesse sentido, Zanin et al (2020) aduzem que geralmente são várias unidades de negócio relacionadas a um grande negócio, sendo que outras atividades são desempenhadas concomitantemente como a criação de animais, produção de leite, alimentação, sanidade e reprodução, além de produzir a alimentação para os mesmos. Spies (2014) assevera que a produção de leite no Brasil é uma das cadeias produtivas do agronegócio que tem os maiores ganhos marginais a incorporar em todos os seus elos de produção nos próximos anos.…”