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This paper characterizes and measures the contribution of social capital to the performance of 50 agroenterprises in Colombia. Using qualitative analysis we document how social capital performs a variety of functions in firms, including providing access information via networks of contacts, reducing transactions costs in contracting via trust, and sustaining capacity for collective action. To estimate social capital's contribution to firm structure and performance, quantitative indicators of firm-level use of social capital are developed based on the number and strength of relationships that firms maintain. Econometric analysis finds that firm-level returns to relationships are high, higher than to physical or human capital. The results suggests that while firms can increase their economic performance by investing in social capital, institutional and technological innovations that ameliorate the effects of the market failures that lead to use of social relationships for business purposes could also improve both equity and efficiency.

Os sistemas logísticos são hoje fundamentais para melhorar a eficiência operacional de usinas de cana-de-açúcar, pois atuam na integração de operações agrícolas e industriais. O presente artigo apresenta um estudo do sistema de recepção de cana em uma das maiores usinas do Brasil, a Usina São Martinho, localizada na região de Ribeirão Preto, SP. O trabalho foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de analisar o desempenho desse sistema, compreendido da balança até as moendas, e investigar configurações e políticas alternativas para sua operação. Em razão das diversas fontes de incerteza e da complexidade operacional do sistema, o método utilizado teve por base técnicas de simulação discreta. As principais medidas de desempenho avaliadas são relacionadas ao tempo médio em que os veículos permanecem no sistema de recepção e à quantidade média de cana descarregada nas moendas por unidade de tempo. Logistic systems are fundamental to improve the operational efficiency of sugar cane plants integrating agricultural and industrial operations. This article presents a case study in the logistic supply system of one the largest Brazilian sugar case plants, the Usina São Martinho, located near Ribeirão Preto, SP. The aim of the study is to analyze the performance of the system in front of the mills, and to investigate alternative configurations and policies for system operation. Due to several uncertainty sources and the operational complexity of the system, the method is based on discrete simulation techniques. The mais performance measures are related to time averages spent in the supply system, and mean unloading rates in the mills.

Las organizaciones de producción agroindustrial se han convertido en una de las apuestas productivas más importantes para los países latinoamericanos. Este artículo parte de una pregunta: ¿Ha desarrollado el Gobierno colombiano herramientas jurídicas respecto a los factores productivos fundamentales (tierra y trabajo), a fin de permitir el aumento de las ganancias de las empresas agroindustriales? Para responder a este interrogante se establece un marco conceptual, en el cual el concepto fundamental es la concepción relacional del poder. Asimismo, se presenta una concepción de la tenencia de la tierra en Hispanoamérica, desde una perspectiva histórica que culmina en la caracterización de la agroindustria en el país. El marco general del análisis es el impacto del conflicto colombiano y su incidencia en la tenencia de la tierra. Agroindustrial organizations have become one of the most important productive bets for Latin American countries. This article begins with a question: Has the Colombian government developed legal tools regarding fundamental productive factors (land and labor) to enable increased profits for agribusinesses? To answer this question, a conceptual framework is established on the basis of the relational conception of power. Furthermore, a concept of land ownership in Latin America is presented from a historical perspective, culminating in the characterization of agribusiness in the country. The general framework of the analysis is the impact and influence of the Colombian conflict on land ownership. As organizações de produção agroindustrial têm se transformado em uma das apostas produtivas mais importantes para os países latino-americanos. Este artigo parte de uma pergunta: O Governo colombiano tem desenvolvido ferramentas jurídicas referentes aos fatores produtivos fundamentais (terra e trabalho), com a finalidade de permitir o aumento dos lucros das empresas agroindustriais? Para responder este interrogante se estabelece um marco conceitual onde o conceito fundamental é a concepção relacional do poder. Da mesma forma, se apresenta uma concepção da possessão da terra em Hispano América desde uma perspectiva histórica que culmina na caracterização da agroindústria no país. O marco general da análise é o impacto do conflito colombiano e sua incidência na possessão da terra.

In recent years the development community has pressured LDCs to privatize agro- industries. This pressure stems from poor public enterprise performance and an ideological shift. However, public enterprises mitigate market failures. The major objective of this study is to measure the impact of privatizing the Nepalese yak cheese industry. To achieve the objective, public and private behavior are determined. The impacts of privatization stem from changes in monopsony behavior and institutional constraints that differ between the public and private sectors. The Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) of Nepal produces yak cheese. The DDC's mandate is to provide a "fair" price to consumers and producers. Private producers of cheese have emerged in recent years. Milk shed structures include: single DDC factories, single private factories, multiple private factories, and mixed production. Market performance is evaluated using partial equilibrium models that include the yak cheese and milk markets. Economic surplus measures are used for evaluation. Herder producer surplus is the most important criterion because herders are the poorest beneficiaries. The impact of privatization is determined through comparison of observed DDC and predicted private equilibria. Private equilibrium is predicted using a simultaneous equation system developed for this research. The equations ensure that supply and demand balance at the aggregate and individual milk shed levels. The Lerner index is incorporated to model monopsony behavior. Private monopsony parameters used in the system are estimated econometrically. A private equilibrium is also predicted with a modified firm cost structure reflecting reduced impacts of institutional constraints. Findings show that private and public firms are exercising monopsony power. DDC privatization can be advocated because it increases herder producer surplus by 15.4%. Total surplus falls slightly because private cheese is lower quality. DDC privatization decreases herder welfare in milk sheds that support only a single firm. The simultaneous equation system developed to predict the private market equilibrium for post agro-industry privatization has the potential to be extended to solve a broader range of economic problems. The equation system can be adapted to applications where there are multiple production regions and monopsony behavior varies by regional characteristics. Ph. D.

The authorities of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma waited until the Fifth Four-Year Plan starting in 1986 to implement the promotion of crops by implanting new agro-based industries. Among these was the creation of a pilot milk plant in the area of Mandalay. Livestock in Burma, dominated by draught cattle (565 millions heads) is unbalanced and under-employed. Mad consumption is 5.46 kg per person and per year but this meat derives mainly from fowls. Burmese do not eat beef due to their religious beliefs. Some projects of livestock development were initiated in 1982 but mostly concerned fowls. In 1987, the total area of pasture for the whole union was 5.024 hectares. Milkproduction reached only 646 tons in 1987, which is 17 grams per inhabitant. Cattle surplus are systematically smuggled in Thailand. The Taung Myin Milk is under construction in the dry zone in the south of Mandalay. The site zoos chosen because of a favorable situation between rich agricultural zones, with a traditional muslim expertise in the field of cattle breeding and the making of condensed milk. The milk production of local breeds being too low, experts are encouraging the development of cross-breeds. To increase the yield, new plants are introduced to enrich the pasture. Moreover a new factory to produce animal feeds with agricultural by-products has been included in the project. Collecting milk, traditionnally by bicycles, will be improved by adding a fleet of tank trucks to connect the collection centers with the milk plant. Whatever advantages may be offered to the farmers by this innovation, it is still uncertain whether the mil plant will be able to enter into production and commercialise its products in an area where inhabitants are known to have a strong attachment to their traditional buddhistic values., Il a fallu attendre le Ve Plan Quadriennal (avril 1986) pour que les autorités de la République socialiste de l'Union de Birmanie commencent à envisager de valoriser leurs matières premières agricoles par la mise en place de nouvelles industries agro-alimentaires. Parmi ces dernières, l'implantation d'une laiterie pilote fut décidée dans le bassin de Mandalay. L'élevage birman est dominé par le bétail de trait (6 500 000 têtes), ce qui forme un cheptel déséquilibré et sous-employé. La consommation de viande s'élève à 5,46 kg par personne et par an, mais l'essentiel de cette viande provient des volailles. Les birmans ne mangent pas de boeuf pour des raisons religieuses. Quelques projets de développement du cheptel ont vu timidement le jour en 1982, mais là encore ils intéressent surtout les volailles. En 1987, la superficie totale des pâturages s'élevait à 5 024 ha pour l'ensemble de l'Union. La production de lait n'a atteint que 646 1 en 1987, soit 17 grammes par habitant. Les surplus de bétail sont exportés en contrebande vers la Thaïlande. L'usine de Taung Myin est en cours de construction dans la zone sèche au sud de Mandalay. Le choix du site correspond à une situation favorable au contact de riches zones agricoles bénéficiant d'une main-d'oeuvre musulmane traditionnellement spécialisée dans l'élevage laitier et la fabrication artisanale de lait condensé. La production laitière des espèces locales étant trop faible, les experts encouragent l'élevage de bovins métissés. Pour augmenter la production, ils ont prévu d'améliorer l'alimentation du bétail stabulaire en introduisant de nouvelles plantes fourragères et en créant une usine de production de tourteaux utilisant les sous-produits des cultures. Le ramassage du lait s'effectue traditionnellement à vélo et sera complété par une flotte de camions-citernes desservant des centres de pré-conditionnement. Malgré les avantages offerts par cette innovation, il n'est pas certain que la laiterie puisse aisément fonctionner et commercialiser ses produits dans un milieu fortement attaché aux traditions bouddhiques., Lubeigt Guy. Elevage, traditions et innovations dans le bassin de Mandalay (Birmanie). In: Innovations et développement rural dans les pays tropicaux. Bordeaux : Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux, 1993. pp. 141-163. (Espaces tropicaux, 8)

Increasing the value of agro-industries of Aceh using the input-output models will produce some objective function and variable constraints. The independent variable is the actual production and potential production of agricultural commodity and overall yield of agro-industrial products and raw materials. The steady state models and simulation models support of agro-export through Krueng Geukuh. The analysis showed that several centers of production of raw materials are very sensitive to a decrease in productivity of commodity areas. According to the output coefficients for each commodity, the biggest are: animal feed, industrial cocoa and spices. While industries such as cocoa, coffee, coconut, pepper, turmeric and cloves are relatively small, but still larger than one. Therefore, there needs to be additional study as which agro-industrial systems are capable of providing added value to the trade system of Aceh.

After the formation of various production and utilization systems in Iran, the most advanced utilization units entitled “Agro-Industry” were established in 1968 according to the constitutional law of sub-dam land utilization companies. After several years of the activity of these units, they were dissolved one after the another. Fars Industrial Meat Complex was one of the agro-industries dissolved several decades after its activity. Since agro-industries were one of the most important production and utilization systems, awareness of the reasons for their dissolution is vital. The purpose of the study is to analyze the reasons for dissolution of the Fars Industrial Meat Complex. Qualitative research using a case study was conducted by applying a semi-structured interview technique and archive documents. To this end, in addition to the production units of this agro-industry, management issues and the related balance sheet have been also analyzed. The findings indicated that the production rate in the units of this agro-industry has been remarkably low. Besides the presence of limitations and problems in agricultural, animal breeding, animal feed factory, slaughterhouse and food industries, ill-managerial system in Fars Industrial Meat Complex, have had a significant role in the dissolution of this agro-industry.

Cet article analyse les divers modes d’insertion des jeunes ruraux dans les périmètres irrigués du delta du fleuve Sénégal dans un contexte de réalisation de nouveaux aménagements hydroagricoles et d’acquisition massive de terres par des entreprises de type agribusiness. Dans les années 1960, c’est l’État qui aménageait les périmètres hydroagricoles et qui distribuait des parcelles aux actifs. Les jeunes actifs de la région pouvaient alors acquérir une petite parcelle de 0,2 ha gratuitement sur un périmètre irrigué. À partir des années 1980, le Sénégal prend un tournant libéral, ce qui réduira le développement des aménagements hydroagricoles publics et augmentera les périmètres privés. Dans cette logique, les jeunes actifs qui, le plus souvent, n’ont pas les ressources nécessaires pour acquérir des terres, éprouvent de sérieuses difficultés à s’installer en agriculture irriguée. À partir de 2006, des programmes bâtis selon le paradigme du partenariat public-privé ont réalisé 5 000 ha de nouveaux aménagements hydroagricoles dans cette zone et, dans ce cadre, laissent une petite place aux jeunes agriculteurs. Parallèlement, l’agro-industrie a aussi gagné du terrain et permet l’embauche de nombreux jeunes, mais de façon temporaire et précaire.En s’appuyant sur des enquêtes auprès des exploitants et des salariés agricoles du delta du fleuve Sénégal, nous montrons que les jeunes peinent de plus en plus à accéder à la terre ou à trouver des emplois décents dans le salariat agricole. En outre, l’étude montre que, plus que le salariat agricole, l’autonomisation des jeunes à travers l’accès au foncier irrigué demeure le meilleur moyen de lutter contre la pauvreté., This article analyzes different approaches to establishing rural youth in irrigation areas in the Senegal River delta in the context of new hydro-agricultural developments and massive land acquisitions by agrobusiness. Government-led irrigation projects introduced in the 1960s distributed free 0.2-hectare plots of land to young workers from the surrounding region. However, in the 1980s, Senegal took a liberal turn that led to a shift from public-sector to private-sector initiatives. As a result, young workers, who often lack the means necessary to acquire land, have found it much more challenging to pursue farming in irrigation areas. Since 2006, few young farmers have acquired any of the 5,000 hectares of new irrigated farmland developed through programs based on the public-private partnership model. At the same time, agro-industry growth has provided young people with many temporary and precarious employment opportunities.Based on surveys of farmers and agricultural workers in the Senegal River delta, we show how young people find it increasingly difficult to acquire land or secure adequate employment in the agricultural sector. In addition, we demonstrate that access to irrigated land, as opposed to salaried agricultural work, represents the most effective strategy for poverty reduction.