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This article explores how the quality of institutions influences the strategic choice of agents in the pulp and paper production system based on the forest plantation sector. In order to proceed with the study, we employ the Economic Analysis of Property Rights (Barzel, 1982, 1989, 2002) as foundation, and test the proposition: in federative states where the institutional environment is fragile and therefore the State has a high cost to enforce property rights, private mechanisms stand out in the protection of property rights. According to Dixit (2009, p. 8), "if the government does not pro tect property rights, at least not as well as owners require, many private arrangements arise to satisfy the owners' needs". The analysis of three business cases of companies with plantations in more than one federative unit revealed the broad range of private mechanisms in place to cope with insecure land rights. In addition to countrywide strategies, in the federative units where government fails to be a good property rights steward, we found geographically specific initiatives being used. Another finding was the identification of variables that are able to evaluate the quality of institutions and employed in the companies' decision-making process for the selection of land rights protection strategies. Findings altogether are empirical evidence of how the quality of institutions influences the strategic choice of land rights protection in the forest plantation sector in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian project Carne Carbono Neutro (CCN) assumes that a more sustainable beef will increase its value for the consumers. The paper aims to verify this assumption and to suggest a communication strategy supporting the CCN valorization. An online survey involving 506 Brazilian consumers showed three different classes of consumers with significantly different attitudes towards environmental issues. Price and quality always strongly influence their demand for beef. A communication campaign should focus on the CCN lower beef environmental impact and beef price/quality issues. Social media on internet and education programs in schools and different institutions should be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes a framework for corporate communication action in wicked scenarios based on stakeholder salience theory (SST). Empirical evidences was collected through a food fraud case in Brazil during 30 days after the scandal on Social Media. A qualitative content analysis was conducted to discriminate the online corporate communication strategies adopted by the two major food companies involved in the scandal. The results indicated that both firms lacked an immediate mandate to address the legitimate stakeholders' claim. This study adds the action perspective to stakeholder salience theory, providing practical guidelines for marketers in the food sector who face wicked contexts, attempting to achieve transparency and common goals along with their stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the intensive use of natural resources in food production in Brazil and the consequent air and water pollution, sustainable production is high on the agenda of businesses and policy makers. This paper designs sustainable production and distribution scenarios for the beef and pork supply chains in Brazil, covering Planet, People and Profit aspects. A case study design is employed in a multi -phase qualitative approach, consisting of two rounds of interviews to pursue the final design of six feasible scenarios for the beef and pork chains. Three sustainable production and distribution scenarios for beef are designed: intensification, local production and sustainable operations and integrated land use, and three for pork: integration of animal and crop production, sophistication and balanced sustainability. The core improvements that can be extracted from the scenarios are: increased chain collaboration, information sharing in the chain, and governmental involvement in the Brazilian beef and pork supply chains. A major value of the paper lays in the three-phase methodology set-up. This paper will also contribute to the debate on sustainable improvements feasible in these Brazilian food chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the short and medium terms, biofuels are the most viable alternative to reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuels. The recent controversy over the competition between biofuels and food production increases the complexity of investment decisions in the biodiesel production chain. In this context, decision support tools are highly relevant. The purpose of this article is to describe the BiodieselFAO using the Unified Modeling Language (UML). An integrated analysis considering both agricultural and industrial sectors was identified as a key requirement to the system. Therefore, farmers and industry are the main actors in the use case diagram. As the raw material represents around 70% of the industrial cost of biodiesel production, the price negotiation of raw material (oilseeds) is the central use case. Configuration, agriculture, industry, results and scenarios are the modules, which encompass the functionalities derived from the UML diagrams. The Food and Agricultur e Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has made the BiodieselFAO available, free of charge, to around 180 professionals from 17 Latin American countries. Additionally, the developing team has supported the usage of the BiodieselFAO in several biodiesel investment analyses throughout Latin America. The system was also useful in the design and analysis of policy related to biodiesel industry in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]