Competitividade na cadeia agroindustrial do café: uma análise comparativa sob a ótica da economia dos custos de transação

Abstract

This work brings a study ofthe coffee agri-business chain in two regions ofMinas Gerais, Brazil, in which the factors and mechanisms that its actors may use to develop in their competitive strategiesare analyzed. The basic transaction characterístics (specífícity ofthe actives, transaction frequency, uncertainty), govemance (market, hierarchic and mixed) and contract (classic, neo-classic and relational) forms and chain coordination were analyzed, along the coffee agribusiness chain, to search for an answer for the following key question: after these factors are determined, in which ofthe two regions will the coffee chain be more competitive. The research was of the qualitative type, classified as conclusive for presenting well-deflned objectives. The object ofthe research was the coffee agri-business chain in two production regions ofMinas Gerais: the South region ofMinas (RSM) and the Cerrado Mineiro region (RCM). The data was collected through the application ofa questionnaire to the chain agents in the two regions that were studied and by data survey in bibliography referent to the subject. The Discrete Compared Structural Analysis concept was used for the analysis ofthe competitivity ofthe coffee agri-business chain (CAC) in the two regions. The variables that were studied were: specifícity of the actives (physical, local, human and dedicated related to the brand and temporal), transaction frequency, govemance form (market, hierarchy and hybrid), the contracts and the chain coordination form in the two regions. The results relative to basic characterístics ofthe transactions indicated that: the local specifícity of the producers ofthe RSM was considered lower in relation to the producers of the RCM and the local specifícity for torrefaction located in the RCM is lower in relation to the ones ofthe RSM. The physical active specifícity was considered high for both groups ofproducers. The specifícity ofthe physical actives was considered high for both groups of producers and torrefaction that were analyzed. The RCM presented a higher specifícity ofhuman actives in the coffee production. torrefaction ofthe two regions use handiwork training and did not present differences in relation to the specifícity ofthis type of active. The dedicated and temporal actives were classified as low in both groups of producers and torrefaction in the RSM and RCM. lhe transaction frequency is higher in the RCM for producers and is equal for the torrefaction. The RSM presents higher risks for the producers. The contracts used in both regions were classified as classics, neo-classics and relational. The chain coordination in the two regions is realized in different forms. In the Cerrado Mineiro region the coordination occurs through cooperatives, while in the South region ofMinas the associations are responsible for the coordination process. ft was concluded that the agri-business chain ofthe RCM, supported by a strong association system, presents evidence ofbeing better coordinated. This can be a fàctor for a higher competitivity in this region in face of the new law-less market environment.