Supply Chain In Brazil Research Articles

Life Cycle Assessment of the Sugarcane Supply Chain in the Brazilian Midwest Region

The sugarcane supply chain is one of the main contributors to economic development in many countries. However, it is necessary to consider the relationship of this supply chain with the environment in order to reduce/mitigate adverse environmental impacts. Life cycle assessment (LCA) supports improving the relationship between production systems and the environment, increasing process efficiency, and reducing costs. The main objective of this research was to identify the extent to which the sugarcane supply chain impacts environmental and human health aspects as well as the use of resources through LCA. This analysis focused on a supply chain in Brazil’s Midwest region, considering the stages of cultivation, transportation, and production. The results indicated that using fertilizers and pesticides and burning crops during harvest severely threaten the sustainability of this supply chain. Also, using crude oil, natural gas, coal, and other chemical products in ethanol production is a critical threat to the sustainability of the sugarcane supply chain. The obtained results cooperate with the decarbonization goals assumed by Brazil at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP 21). A multidimensional approach is necessary to assess the sugarcane production chain results, and the LCA method is appropriate for performing this analysis.

Management control in the immunobiological storage process of the Ministry of Health of Brazil

The research aimed to identify the existence of a Management Control System (MCS) and it`s types of control in the immunobiologicals storage process of the National Immunization Program (NIP) from Ministry of Health of Brazil (MoH). Brazilian NIP is one of the largest universal, free-of-charge public health systems in the world. To identify the controls, we used the classification proposed by Kenneth A. Merchant and Wim A. Van der Stede: personnel, action, result and cultural controls. For that, semi-structured interviews carried out with employees and collaborators envolved with storage process of immunobiologicals of the Federal Government of Brazil and, as a result, were identified absence of a formal MCS, as well management controls suitable to manage the risks involved in the process. The study elucidates the relationship between the types of management control of the storage process of immunobiologicals from Federal Government of Brazil. Therefore, allowing future researches relating MCS and the NIP supply chain in Brazil.

The European Union and United Kingdom's deforestation-free supply chains regulations: Implications for Brazil

This paper analyses the potential implications of the proposed European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the recently adopted United Kingdom (UK) legislation on deforestation-free supply chains (henceforth ‘the legislation’) for different stakeholders in Brazil. These regulations intend to address global commodity-driven deforestation and forest degradation by ensuring that targeted commodities and products placed on (or exported from) markets are of minimal risk of being associated with - in the EU - deforestation and forest degradation or - in the UK - illegal deforestation. The paper examines potential compliance readiness in cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soybean and tropical timber supply chains in Brazil, indicating specific challenges that may arise. Through the construction of a “Compliance Likelihood Index”, our research provides comparable indications to policymakers on sectors and stakeholders that may need stronger support to meet the requirements, in order to maintain Brazil's access to EU and UK markets. The paper indicates that coffee is the sector with the highest level of incentivization and smallest hurdles for compliance, while the cattle sector may face stronger challenges to rapidly adjust its production system towards a deforestation-free value chain and prove compliance. Results of our analysis also highlight the need for collaboration between the EU/UK and Brazil in order to promote alignment between domestic and demand-side legislations so that they are mutually reinforcing. Results of this exercise, which has a focus on the producer-country view of demand-side legislation, will contribute to discussions on the merits of different approaches to strengthen the governance of deforestation-risk commodity trade.

A novel modelling approach for the redesign of supply chains: An application to soybean grain supply chains

The redesign of an existent supply chain is a major challenge for stakeholders in the supply chain, and the supply chain redesign problem has seceral variants depending on the structure and parameters of the existent supply chain as well as the objective of the redesign. In this paper, we focus on one variant problem of the redesign of an existent two-echelon supply chain, with a view to determining the optimal supply chain redesign whose objective is the alteration of the transportation mode mix, so as to reduce the role of the road transportion mode through the introduction of an intermediate echelon of intermodal termials, and thus permittting the enhancement of the rail and inland waterways transportaion modes, which results in the reduction of operating costs and GHG emissions. Towards this end, we present a novel redesign strategy based on a four-step methodology employing bilevel programming, which is validated by application to a real world case study of a soybean exportation supply chain in Brazil. In this manner, the novel methodology presented in this paper can serve as a benchmark for supply chain redesign methods employing approximate methods.

Building Agro-Industrial Capabilities in the Sugarcane Supply Chain in Brazil

Background: This study aims to explore how domestic entrepreneurs can benefit from the thriving global agribusiness by establishing themselves in agro-industrial segments that can best remunerate capital and labour. The ways in which domestic entrepreneurs in Brazil enter different segments of the agribusiness industry were assessed with specific attention to implications for the development of local agro-industrial capabilities. Methods: We assessed the current market share of domestic companies in relation to foreign multinationals in various segments of the sugar and ethanol supply chain in Brazil. Results: Foreign multinationals are market leaders in the fertilizers, machinery and trading segments (domestic companies market share is 20.3%, 33.3% and 42.9% in those segments respectively). However, Brazilian companies have achieved higher market share in segments such as plant breeding, sugarcane processing and farming (domestic market share is 93.2%, 67.4% and 75.5% respectively). Plant breeding, farming and trading benefit from governmental support in research, subsidized credits and market policies respectively. Conclusions: By investing in agro-industrial sectors developing countries can benefit from agribusiness expansion for their economic growth. Investments in science and technology and domestic regulatory actions can help to build country capabilities, although the impacts are sometimes limited to the agro-industrial sectors where domestic companies are more competitive. These lessons can help other developing countries to assess their opportunities and challenges for agro-industrial development.

The Influence of Informality in a Local Agri‐food Supply Chain in Brazil

SummaryDuring qualitative research on trust, conducted in a mariculture chain in southern Brazil, the theme of informality emerged spontaneously in most interviews. Although it is difficult to measure, some data and estimates point out that informality is still quite present worldwide, but especially in emerging and developing countries, and this situation was confirmed in the studied supply chain. In analysing the narratives, we noticed that this is a chronic issue which bothers the producers that are properly formalised mainly because of unfair competition, and hinders the organisation of the chain. Some factors foster the persistence of informality, such as family labour and temporary jobs, the low educational level of entrepreneurs, lack of adequate supervision and cultural aspects of producers and their families. We could corroborate the perspectives of modernisation (informality is still persistent), neo‐liberal (informal entrepreneurs reject the bureaucracy of an over‐regulated market) and post‐structuralist (informality is a way of life related to identity, social position and/or resistance against the formal structure) theories. Our research has shown us that the situation found is contributing to a reduction in the number of formal producers and impairing the development of that local supply chain, as well as its sustainability.

Emergent Research Themes on Sustainability in the Beef Cattle Industry in Brazil: An Integrative Literature Review

Brazil is one of the world’s biggest beef producers and its largest exporter. However, beef cattle ranching is a leading cause of deforestation and habitat conversion in the Brazilian Amazon, which challenges sustainable development. We adopted the triple bottom line (TBL) as a guiding theory of sustainability and assumed the necessity of a production system-specific approach. Based on an integrative literature analysis, we aimed to assess sustainability pillars in beef cattle production. The Web of Science, Scopus and Science Direct databases were searched for studies on mitigating the adverse impacts of beef cattle production before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. We found 108 references in these databases, 46 of which met the criteria for eligibility assessment, and ten studies were selected for textual cluster analysis and thematic synthesis. The review shows emergent research themes on sustainability in beef cattle production. It also elaborates a conceptual model of the sustainability pillars in the technique, science, and social aspects of the beef cattle sector that may guide the managerial and political strategies for the beef cattle supply chain in Brazil and other emerging markets. This study indicates that sustainable beef cattle development requires new digital technologies and ideas about sustainable supply chain management, which provides human, environmental, and animal welfare.

Agro-industrial development: Lessons from Brazil

Agribusiness is an important development option for low-income countries that expect foreign investments to have a positive effect on the modernization and strengthening of their domestic agricultural sectors. However, evidence of these expectations being met is ambivalent, notably regarding whether domestic entrepreneurs can benefit from the thriving global agribusiness by establishing themselves in agro-industrial segments that can best remunerate capital and labor. Against this backdrop, we assessed the market share of domestic vis-à-vis multinational companies in key supply chains in Brazil, the leading example of agricultural development worldwide. The results revealed that the domestic market share was 23.9% for soybean, 47.2 % for sugarcane, 57.9 % for dairy, and 76.0 % for beef supply chains. There was high heterogeneity among agribusiness segments that can be divided into three groups: 1. Segments controlled by foreign multinationals, 2. State-supported segments controlled by domestic companies, and 3. Mixed segments controlled by both domestic and multinational companies. In mixed segments, foreign and domestic investments support the streamlining of supply chains and are thereby beneficial to the country in the short and long term. These are segments in which there are no barriers preventing the entry of domestic companies such as patents. Investments made in science and technology tend to support the development of the supply chain as a whole, not only specific companies, generating win-win situations.

The Brazilian Pirarucu supply chain: situation, perspectives, and challenges

This study suggests that pirarucu is a fish capable to have competitive products in the national premium fish market and analyze the opportunities and constraints of this supply chain in Brazil. To achieve that, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 22 players of the cultivated pirarucu supply chain in Brazil, resulting in more than 13 hours of dialogue to understand who the players are, and the main challenges and opportunities for this market. The pirarucu products (such as frozen fillet and loin) are premium products and can become competitive in the niche market of value-added fish, if their constraints are overcome, since they have intrinsic potentialities and extrinsic values to the consumer. The non-conformity of the information added to the lack of knowledge about the species were identified as the main limitations of the organization of the supply chain. Fish farmers show interest in strengthening the cultivated pirarucu supply chain. The processing industry and the consumers demand a regular supply, and input suppliers realize that this is an important national market. In any case, there is a market for premium pirarucu, and it is noticeable that there is a demand for superior quality fish, and pirarucu presents several characteristics valued by the consumer.

Sustainability in Sugarcane Supply Chain in Brazil: Issues and Way Forward

Sustainability in Sugarcane Supply Chain in Brazil: Issues and Way Forward

The Economics of Agribusiness in Developing Countries: Areas of Opportunities for a New Development Paradigm in the Soybean Supply Chain in Brazil

By understanding the economics of agribusiness, an important economic sector for developing countries, this article explores possibilities for a new development paradigm based on areas of opportunities created for local entrepreneurs. Based on a detailed study of the soybean market chain in Brazil, this paper illustrates that the current neoliberal economic approach has resulted in a business which is dependent on foreign multinationals. While foreign companies hold 60% of the soybean market share, Brazilian groups hold only 40% of the entire business, with the domestic market share concentrated in land (13.3%) and labor (14.3%). But the expansion of foreign investments in agribusiness in the country offers opportunities occupied by Brazilian companies, characterizing a situation of associated dependent development. Currently, 12.4% of the share held by Brazilian companies belongs to capital and technology intensive segments such as seed production (2.4%), fertilizers (4.8%), agrochemicals (0.6%), machinery (0.3%), and agro-industry trade (4.3%). The increase in the participation of Brazilian groups in agribusiness requires agricultural policies that can be inspired by a new development paradigm. Opportunities created by foreign investments can be used by domestic groups to increase their share in agro-industrial sectors. Lessons from the Brazilian case can help other developing countries to explore areas of opportunities for domestic investments in dynamic economic sectors such as agribusiness.

Brazil’s Agribusiness Economic Miracle: Exploring Food Supply Chain Transformations for Promoting Win–Win Investments

Background: For many developing countries, agribusiness has become one of the main economic sectors, with the capacity to mobilize domestic and foreign investments. Despite the potential for development in countries like Brazil, the results of these investments in supply chains have not yet been systematically assessed. Methods: This study analyses foreign and domestic investments as an explanation for the recent growth of Brazilian agribusiness and evaluates the implications of different investment arrangements for the future development of the sector in the country. The research was based on a literature review of 12 agribusiness supply chains in Brazil. Results: Through a content analysis, the results reveal win–win situations with foreign and domestic investments supporting the streamlining of supply chains, mutually benefiting domestic and international groups and increasing the productivity of the entire sector. However, the results also reveal win–lose cases with chains and segments practically controlled by foreign multinationals in which local groups have practically no share. Finally, there are also cases of lose–win in which groups subsidized by the state are privileged in relation to others, compromising the sector’s growth. Conclusions: The current liberal business environment results in the need for a new vision of development based on win–win opportunities for domestic and foreign investments created by dynamic sectors such as agribusiness.

Missing the Target: Brazil's Agricultural Policy Indirectly Subsidizes Foreign Investments to the Detriment of Smallholder Farmers and Local Agribusiness

Currently there is controversy about the effect of direct foreign investment in the Brazilian agricultural sector, mainly due to the impact it has on small farmers, land use, the environment, and food security. In this context, Brazil finds itself in an even more delicate situation, since in order to remain a bulwark of the economy, Brazilian agribusiness depends heavily on public policies that directly impact its treasury. This suggests there is an indirect transfer of public resources to transnational companies involved in agribusiness production chains. This paper assesses the allocation of agricultural credits in Brazil and the market share held by Brazilian groups, vis-à-vis multinational corporations in the agribusiness supply chains. The study was carried out analyzing the three largest supply chains established in the country: soybean, corn, and cattle. Results reveal that 75% of the operating credit (crédito de custeio), which represents 60% of the total government credit in Brazil, goes directly to soybean, corn, and cattle farmers. Most of this subsidized credit budget goes to the soybean farmers, which are mostly encompassed by large farmers. Results also reveal that 76.1% of the soybean supply chain in Brazil is controlled by foreign multinational corporations. These findings suggest that resources invested in large farmers that take part in supply chains controlled by multinational foreign groups end up indirectly financing foreign companies to the detriment of local smallholder farmers and domestic agribusiness. This highlights the need for restructuring Brazilian agricultural policy in favor of family farmers and domestic agribusiness.

ANÁLISE DA CADEIA DE SUPRIMENTOS DE VACINA NO BRASIL

Immunization aims to control diseases that cause serious damage to the population. The maintenance of the vaccine supply chain in Brazil is essential to avoid changes in the efficacy, potency and composition of the immunizers, which are temperature sensitive drugs. The pharmaceutical companies are increasing its participation in the constantly growing market, being responsible for the manufacture, commercialization and distribution of medicines and vaccines. The vaccine supply chain is currently recognized as a subject of great relevance in the world, due to the pandemic of COVID-19. In context, there are many challenges on the supply chain and logistics system structure, related to demand planning, and inventory control, storage, conservation, handling, distribution and transportation of immunizers. The general objective of this study is to analyze the vaccine supply chain in Brazil. The study can be categorized as an exploratory, qualitative research, which used bibliographic research as procedure for database. The results obtained showed that, despite the vaccine production capacity in Brazil, it is essentialto plan the immunization supply chain in the country, due to the importance that this chain represents to move vaccines to even the most remote places, especially at this time when the world is suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transparency in Global Agribusiness: Transforming Brazil’s Soybean Supply Chain Based on Companies’ Accountability

Background: Although agri-food supply chains have become fundamental for food security throughout the world, some are associated with negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts. This study explores the possibilities of transforming the governance in Brazil’s soybean supply chain based on stakeholders’ accountability. Methods: We used secondary data from companies’ reports and statistical yearbooks to identify key stakeholders in the soybean supply chain as well as to explore trade-offs between reducing farming expansion into new agricultural frontiers and increasing investments in agro-industrial sectors. Results: The results reveal that at the global level, multinational corporations along with domestic groups should be held accountable for improving the governance of the soybean supply chain in Brazil since foreign multinationals control 65.4% of it. At the domestic level, losses in Brazil’s farming sector can either be offset by an 11% or 5.2% market share increase in the trading segment or in the whole supply chain, respectively, since Brazilian groups control 93.4% of the farming sector but only 7.1% of the agro-industrial sectors. Conclusions: Global accountability and domestic trade-offs are fundamental for transforming governance in global agri-food supply chains. They serve as a means for overcoming the current strategy of expansion into new farming frontiers.

MARKET SHARE DE EMPRESAS DOMÉSTICAS NA CADEIA PRODUTIVA DA CARNE BOVINA NO BRASIL Market share hold by domestic companies in the beef supply chain in Brazil

Neste trabalho, objetiva-se identificar a participação do capital brasileiro nos principais segmentos da cadeia produtiva da carne bovina produzida no Brasil a partir de dados das empresas que atuam no setor. O estudo revela que 65,6% da cadeia produtiva da carne são controlados por grupos brasileiros. A participação doméstica se destaca nos segmentos de frigoríficos (com 75,7% de market share), de produção em campo (99,3%), de equipamentos (100%) e de sementes para pasto (95,0%). O aumento do market share de grupos domésticos ao longo dos segmentos agroindustriais que melhor remuneram capital e trabalho é uma alternativa para superar a atual abordagem de crescimento do agronegócio pela expansão para novas fronteiras agrícolas com altos custos sociais e ambientais.

Supply chain collaboration for sustainability: a qualitative investigation of food supply chains in Brazil

PurposeThis paper investigates how chain members collaborate to ensure the sustainability of supply chains through the social capital perspective.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a case study design, three social capital mechanisms – reach, richness and receptivity – were used as a lens with two eco-innovative food companies and their respective supply chains in Southern Brazil. Data consisted of interviews and other sources of evidence obtained from multiple stakeholders.FindingsResults highlight the importance of a managerial orientation for sustainability and that sustainable chains presuppose a network that is closely linked and with great affinity. Not only does the management of operations improve the green performance of companies for environmental benchmarking but it also expands to include the supply chain. Social capital mechanisms can encourage partners to develop strategic initiatives for sustainability, especially if managers share key drivers for adopting eco-innovations and overall chain sustainability.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to research on collaboration within sustainable supply chain management. Empirical data were gathered from different stakeholders in two food chains in a developing country. Through the lens of social capital mechanisms, the paper shows how different types of companies collaborate in their supply chain for sustainability.

Resilience of the Brazilian supply chains due to the impacts of Covid-19

Unprecedented challenges have been imposed on global markets to minimise losses in the short and long supply chains. The purpose of this paper is to identify the impacts created by the Covid-19 pandemic on the short and long supply chains in Brazil. This paper analyses the short and long supply chains in Brazil, whose overriding data were consulted on the websites of supervisory bodies and agencies at home and abroad. Adopting a qualitative approach, the consultation of literature about short and long supply chains was to determine the impacts of the pandemic on them in Brazil, as well as the resilience adopted by many in the course of the outbreak of the new coronavirus. This study examines the resilience of the Brazilian supply chains when pointing out the impacts on them during the Covid-19 pandemic and the alternatives to continue operating. It was also found that short supply chain resilience plays a key role in the Brazilian food supply. The study is restricted to the context of Brazil and its particularities. Also, further studies are required to explore the economic and operating impacts on different sectors of the economy in the post-pandemic period.

Understanding the Stickiness of Commodity Supply Chains Is Key to Improving Their Sustainability

Summary Commodity trade is central to the global economy but is also associated with socio-environmental impacts, for example, deforestation, especially in producer countries. It is crucial to understand how geographic sourcing patterns of commodities and commercial relationships between places and actors influence land-use dynamics, socio-economic development, and environmental degradation. Here, we propose a concept and methodological approach to analyze the geographic stickiness of commodity supply chains, which is the maintenance of supply network configurations over time and across perturbations. We showcase policy-relevant metrics for all Brazilian soy exports between 2003 and 2017, using high-resolution supply chain data from www.trase.earth . We find that the Brazilian soy traders with the largest market share exhibit stickier geographic sourcing patterns, and that the supply network configurations between production places and traders become increasingly sticky in subsequent years. Understanding trade stickiness is crucial for supply chain accountability, because it directly affects the effectiveness of zero-deforestation commitments.

Risk assessment model using conditional probability and simulation: case study in a piped gas supply chain in Brazil

The objective of this article is to present a proposed application for systematic risk assessment considering the dependence between risks. The proposal relies on a systematic literature review (SLR) as the initial phase, in which the risk classes, management phases and the tools that can be applied to the risk assessment are identified, considering the dependence between them. For this, the system adopted includes the identification and later evaluation of the risks. The evaluation involves the analytic network process (ANP), Monte Carlo Simulation and conditional probability by means of Bayes’ theorem. The identification and evaluation of the risks were applied to two links of a piped gas supply chain in Brazil, identified as company X and Y, where six specialists were interviewed in each company in the managerial areas. The ANP indicted that the most critical risk in the links is the demand risk. From this, it was possible through Monte Carlo Simulation to identify the probability of occurrence of events with connection to demand risk: demand (X) / demand risk (Y), with probability of 10%; price risk (X) / demand risk (Y), with probability of 0.64%; and risk of supply (Y) / demand risk (X), with a probability of 0%. This indicates that the highest risk is the risk of demand of firm Y, and therefore mitigation strategies should focus on this risk, as it represents the true cause of supply chain vulnerability, generating risk with the highest probability.