https://tede.unioeste.br/handle/tede/611 2026-06-19T12:32:39Z https://tede.unioeste.br/handle/tede/8363 Title: Crédito rural e sustentabilidade no semiárido baiano: uma análise em dois estágios Autor: Ferreira, Raiane Benevides Primeiro orientador: Staduto, Jefferson Andronio Ramundo Abstract: Sustainability, seen as a major challenge for humanity in the 21st century, has the mission of promoting economic growth with the least possible environmental impact, ensuring that future generations also have access to the same resources. Which is not an easy task, as sustainability is a continuous, complex and multidimensional process. But it is essential in view of the intensification of the effects of climate change, which have generated major economic, social, human, cultural and environmental losses. In this scenario, the agricultural sector plays a fundamental role, as it is a strategic sector for achieving some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDGs 1, 2 and 10 and, indirectly, SDGs 8, 13 and 15. Since the Netherlands Conference on Agriculture and Environment, convened by FAO in 1991, sustainable agriculture and rural development have become priorities on the global sustainability agenda. But, for agricultural production to be truly sustainable, investments in technologies and new modern production techniques are necessary. A tool capable of assisting rural producers in this process is the rural credit policy, considered strategic to promote resilient and sustainable agriculture. By alleviating the financial constraints of rural producers, it enables the purchase of agricultural inputs, machinery and equipment and technological resources that allow a more efficient combination of resources. In this pursuit of promoting sustainability, composite indices have gained prominence and have come to be widely used worldwide, as instruments for measuring the level of sustainability and guiding the formulation of public policies. Thus, this study aims to develop a composite rural sustainability index for the municipalities of the semi-arid region of Bahia, and to verify whether there is a significant association between rural credit and the sustainability index. To this end, a two-stage procedure was adopted. In the first stage, the rural sustainability index of the municipalities of the semi-arid region of Bahia was calculated through two weighting methods: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Benefit-of-the-Doubt (BOD) model formulated from a Directional Distance Function (DDF). In the second stage, censored data models were used, more specifically, Tobit and Linear Regression to analyze the effect of exogenous factors on the level of rural sustainability of the municipalities of the semi-arid region of Bahia. The results obtained by the PCA method indicate a low level of rural sustainability in the semi-arid region of Bahia. The DEA-BOD model based on a directional distance function showed that the municipalities operate, on average, at 78.8% of the sustainability frontier, evidencing that the regional performance is significantly below the level achieved by the reference municipalities. In addition, a positive and significant effect of rural credit on the sustainability index was verified, confirming its relevance as an instrument for strengthening sustainable development in the semi-arid region of Bahia. The results reinforce the importance of rural credit as a strategic public policy especially for contexts of great socioeconomic vulnerability and adverse climatic conditions. In these locations the rural credit policy can enable investments in adapted technologies, sustainable management of natural resources, productive diversification and increased resilience of agricultural activities. Thus, it would be important to expand credit policies in the region, in order to boost the performance of municipalities in terms of sustainability. This finding contrasts with evidence observed in other regional contexts, such as the Legal Amazon and the Cerrado, where studies indicate that rural credit, the intensification of agricultural activity, the expansion of transport infrastructure and population dynamics have been associated with the advance of deforestation and environmental degradation. In the case of the semi-arid region of Bahia, however, no negative relationship was observed between rural credit and sustainable performance, suggesting that, in this specific context, credit may play an inducing role of more sustainable practices, instead of acting as a vector of environmental pressure. Publisher: Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná Tipo do documento: Tese 2025-12-05T00:00:00Z https://tede.unioeste.br/handle/tede/8293 Title: Avaliação da efetividade da educação cooperativa solidária do PECSOL no processo de inserção do jovem no sistema UNICAFES: o caso do estado do Paraná Autor: Miranda, Daiane Franciele Staback Primeiro orientador: Rocha Jr., Weimar Freire da Abstract: Cooperativism is a strategic tool for economic and social development, especially in family farming areas. In Brazil, it strengthens productive inclusion and social capital by integrating small producers into markets. In the Southern Region and particularly in Paraná, solidarity cooperatives boost income, access to resources, and regional dynamism, with emphasis on the role of UNICAFES-PR in valuing collective work and food sovereignty. Thus, the present study aims to analyze the cooperative education practices offered to young people in the Solidarity Cooperativism Education Program (PECSOL - Programa de Educação do Cooperativismo Solidário in Portuguese) to encourage their permanence in the system of the National Union of Family Farming and Solidarity Economy Cooperatives (UNICAFES - União Nacional das Cooperativas de Agricultura Familiar e Economia Solidária in Portuguese). Accordingly, this study was conducted in fifteen agricultural cooperatives in the state of Paraná, which are part of the UNICAFES system and participated in the pilot edition of PECSOL, lasting one year, from 2022 to 2023. The study focused on the young rural population. Therefore, it is understood that it is necessary to research in greater depth the issue of youth integration into cooperativism, which has been a recurring subject in several studies about the future of family farming. The research is methodologically grounded, in terms of aims, as a descriptive and explanatory study. It has a qualitative-quantitative approach, as it examines and reflects on young people’s perceptions of cooperative education. For data collection, the questionnaire instrument was chosen, as it is a common technique for collecting data in descriptive research, and it was applied to the young participants of PECSOL. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive analysis tools both to present the characteristics of the young cooperators and to discuss the training offered by PECSOL, in addition to issues relevant to the continued presence of these young people in rural areas and the cooperative system. The results reveal that PECSOL plays a strategic role in strengthening rural youth, fostering connections with cooperativism, and contributing to their permanence in rural areas. Most participants showed interest in becoming more actively involved in the cooperatives and rural activities, valuing family farming and sustainability. However, young people reported significant challenges, such as a lack of confidence in the family succession process, limited dialogue spaces, and insufficient opportunities for effective participation in rural management. They also pointed out difficulties in accessing credit, limited specific public policies, and a shortage of opportunities for continuous training. Despite these challenges, the perception of the role of cooperatives is predominantly positive, as they are recognized as instruments of local development and productive inclusion. The research also highlights the need to enhance actions that strengthen youth participation, bridge generational gaps, and promote a more accessible, representative, and innovative environment within cooperativism. In conclusion, the continuity and strengthening of programs such as PECSOL are essential to consolidate youth participation and ensure the sustainability of solidarity cooperativism in rural areas. Publisher: Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná Tipo do documento: Tese 2025-09-05T00:00:00Z https://tede.unioeste.br/handle/tede/8241 Title: Comparative analysis of circular economy practices in the agri-food sector: a study of Brazil and Italy Autor: Christ, Gabriela Daiana Primeiro orientador: Colla, Crislaine Abstract: A integração das práticas de Economia Circular (EC) no setor agroalimentar é fundamental para enfrentar restrições de recursos, desafios ambientais e promover o desenvolvimento regional. No entanto, as evidências empíricas sobre como a EC transforma modelos de negócios em diferentes contextos regionais ainda são limitadas, especialmente em comparações internacionais. Este estudo analisa a implementação da EC por meio de estudos de caso na Região Geográfica Intermediária (RGInt) de Cascavel, no Estado do Paraná, Brasil, e na Região Marche, Itália. Os objetivos são avaliar como as regulamentações nacionais incorporam os princípios da EC, identificar práticas adotadas no setor agroalimentar e examinar seu papel na transformação de modelos de negócios e no fomento ao desenvolvimento regional. A pesquisa adotou uma abordagem qualitativa, combinando entrevistas semiestruturadas e análise de estudos de caso. Os resultados revelam três achados principais. Primeiro, a implementação eficaz da EC requer equilibrar pragmatismo, inclusão, arranjos de governança e contextos sociopolíticos. O Brasil enfatiza iniciativas emergentes vinculadas à competitividade, enquanto a Itália incorpora a EC em um arcabouço mais estabelecido, embora fragmentado. Segundo, alinhar mentalidades a uma cultura orientada à circularidade ao longo do tempo exige a definição de metas claras, o desenvolvimento de estratégias de inovação empresarial e a avaliação contínua dos avanços sob a ótica da sustentabilidade (dimensões ambiental, social e econômica). Terceiro, as trajetórias regionais diferem: a RGInt Cascavel (Paraná) apresenta crescimento robusto impulsionado pela pecuária e pela diversificação, enquanto a Região Marche reflete uma estrutura madura em processo de reorientação para nichos de maior valor agregado. A pesquisa contribui ao fornecer evidências comparativas sobre a relação entre EC e desenvolvimento regional, oferecendo subsídios para empresas e formuladores de políticas públicas.; L’integrazione delle pratiche di Economia Circolare (EC) nel settore agroalimentare è fondamentale per affrontare vincoli di risorse, sfide ambientali e promuovere lo sviluppo regionale. Tuttavia, le evidenze empiriche su come l’EC trasformi i modelli di business nei diversi contesti regionali sono ancora limitate, soprattutto nei confronti internazionali. Questo studio analizza l’implementazione dell’EC attraverso studi di caso nella Regione Geografica Intermedia (RGInt) di Cascavel, nello Stato del Paraná, Brasile, e nella Regione Marche, Italia. Gli obiettivi sono valutare come le normative nazionali incorporino i principi dell’EC, identificare le pratiche adottate nel settore agroalimentare ed esaminare il loro ruolo nella trasformazione dei modelli di business e nel promuovere lo sviluppo regionale. La ricerca ha adottato un approccio qualitativo, combinando interviste semistrutturate e analisi dei casi studio. I risultati rivelano tre principali evidenze. Primo, l’implementazione efficace dell’EC richiede un equilibrio tra pragmatismo, inclusività, governance e contesti socio-politici: il Brasile enfatizza iniziative emergenti legate alla competitività, mentre l’Italia integra l’EC in un quadro più consolidato ma frammentato. Secondo, allineare le mentalità a una cultura orientata alla circolarità richiede tempo, definizione di obiettivi chiari, strategie per l’innovazione aziendale e monitoraggio continuo dei progressi sotto la lente della sostenibilità (ambientale, sociale ed economica). Terzo, le traiettorie regionali differiscono: la RGInt di Cascavel mostra una crescita robusta trainata dal settore zootecnico e dalla diversificazione, mentre le Marche evidenziano una struttura matura in fase di riorientamento verso nicchie ad alto valore aggiunto. Lo studio contribuisce fornendo evidenze comparative sul nesso EC-sviluppo regionale, offrendo indicazioni per imprese e policy maker. Publisher: Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná Tipo do documento: Tese 2025-11-18T00:00:00Z https://tede.unioeste.br/handle/tede/8237 Title: Impacto de variáveis macroeconômicas e setoriais nos preços das ações de companhias sucroenergéticas listadas na Bolsa B3 Autor: Souza, Kennedy Jamestony de Carvalho e Primeiro orientador: Shikida, Pery Francisco Assis Abstract: In recent years, both in Brazil and in other countries, there has been a growing academic interest in understanding the correlations and implications between fluctuations in macroeconomic indicators, sectoral variables, and stock market volatility. This interest is particularly relevant in strategic and dynamic sectors of the economy, which are frequently affected by changes in the macroeconomic environment. In this context, the main objective of this thesis was to analyze the impact of macroeconomic and sectoral variables (international sugar prices, international oil prices, real GDP, the Selic interest rate, and the exchange rate) on the stock prices of Cosan and São Martinho, two of the largest sugar-energy companies listed on B3 (Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão). To achieve this objective, the following methodological procedures were employed: Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test, Granger causality test, Johansen cointegration test, Vector Error Correction Model (VEC), and Variance Decomposition Analysis. The analysis covered the period from March 2012 to June 2024, comprising 148 monthly observations. The results of the VEC model reveal that, for both Cosan and São Martinho, international sugar and oil prices, real GDP, and the exchange rate show a positive and statistically significant correlation with stock prices, with a notable elasticity in relation to variations in international sugar prices and real GDP. Conversely, the Selic interest rate exerts a negative effect on both companies, highlighting the sensitivity of the sugar-energy sector to changes in monetary policy. The results obtained through the Granger causality test, the VEC model, and Variance Decomposition Analysis for both companies proved consistent with the literature. Based on these findings, it is concluded, in response to the research problem that guided this thesis, that the selected macroeconomic and sectoral variables exert a significant impact on the stock prices of representative companies in the sugar-energy sector, such as Cosan and São Martinho, especially in the long run. Research in this area provides valuable information for a wide range of economic agents, including rural producers, cooperatives, agribusinesses, financial institutions, brokerage firms, exporters, and investors in general. These agents seek to maximize profitability and therefore rely on detailed analyses of economic performance, whether in relation to interest rates, dividend distribution, or other factors that influence financial decision-making. Deepening the understanding of these dynamics contributes not only to more effective risk management but also supports the formulation of strategies and policies capable of responding more efficiently to an increasingly volatile and interconnected market. In this context, this thesis proves to be highly relevant by broadening the debate and enhancing the understanding of capital market variability in the face of shocks arising from macroeconomic and sectoral factors. Furthermore, it is concluded that the sugar-energy sector constitutes an attractive investment alternative, given its positive financial trajectory in recent years, driven mainly by the appreciation of sugar and ethanol prices, combined with the growing demand for renewable energy and the advancement of global decarbonization policies. Keywords: Sugar and Ethanol; Financial market; Macroeconomics; VEC model. Publisher: Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná Tipo do documento: Tese 2025-11-24T00:00:00Z