The collective actions in the form of cooperatives and the relevance in the soy production chain in Paraná

Abstract

The aim of this study is to discuss the influence of collective actions, with a focus on cooperatives located on the soy production chain. It was noted that rural producers organize themselves in groups aiming to preserve their common interests, when they know they would succeed to act individually. The actions are performed by latent groups, through economic incentives, and there is strong influence of institutional environment. Collective cooperation results in benefits to all involved, in addition to generating positive externalities upstream and downstream on the chain. Cooperatives have had intense influence on the soy production in the State of Paraná, being responsible for a significant portion of the production, processing and distribution. By means of cooperatives, the state has maintained second position at national level in relation to the production of soy, with revealed comparative advantage, has gotten improvements in productivity and conquest of foreign markets.

Keywords

• Collective actions
• Agribusiness cooperatives
• Soybean supply chain.