CHALLENGES FOR BRAZIL'S FOOD INDUSTRY IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALIZATION AND MERCOSUR CONSOLIDATION

This paper examines how the Brazilian food industry has been heavily affected by several recent institutional and economic changes. The food industry, including the processing and retail sectors, is part of a broader agribusiness system that conditions corporationsÂ’ strategies, performance, and adoption of adequate governance structures. The Brazilian agroindustrialization process that preceded the formation of the sub-regional free-trade area (Mercosur) and economic liberalization influenced subsequent development of the agribusiness and food system in the Mercosur countries and their investment and trade links to countries outside Mercosur. The article emphasizes business strategies for coping with challenges and opportunities that have arisen from Mercosur integration, from economic stabilization programs and, more importantly, from a broad range of institutional changes such as trade liberalization, deregulation, and the friendlier treatment of foreign capital. These changes have together fostered the globalization process in the region and have stimulated different responses from large and small firms, all threatened by the new, competitive environment.Agribusiness, International Relations/Trade,

CARBON MARKET: BUSINESS INCENTIVES FOR SUSTAINABILITY

The Protocol resulting from the 1997 Conference of Parties in Kyoto finally set emission caps for several developed countries and introduced the possibility of market creation mechanisms on carbon emission trading. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was then created for emission trading between countries with caps and those with no caps. The CDM market will pursue the opportunities for lowest costs on carbon reductions available in each country with no emission target, as is the case of Brazil. The positive differentials of Brazil will only be realized if there is, mainly in national terms, a favorable atmosphere to the development of new business and the proper importance to the environmental commitments of reduction of the greenhouse effect. The excess of bureaucracy and governmental controls added to the lack of a policy and of a clear institutional guidance of support to the consistent initiatives of CDM projects. They are decisive obstacles for the achievement of the potentialities and for a good position of Brazil in the trade of CERs. Making use of the teachings of Nobel Prize Ronald Coase, this paper has as a goal to show the necessary institutional conditions for Brail to make use of the development from this market.Environmental Economics and Policy,

Market Structure and Competition in Food Retail: Some Evidences from Brazil

The paper analyzes competition among supermarkets in Brazil. In contrast to part of the economic literature which suggests that the fast growth of big supermarket chains would destroy independent, medium and small supermarkets, the paper argues that big supermarket chains can coexist with different formats of independent food retailing. As a result, competition in food retail is complex and cannot be described as a simple Darwinian process of market concentration. The analysis is divided in two parts. In the first part, the competition between hypermarkets and supermarkets is examined. Evidences for the district of Sao Paulo, Brazil, suggest that these retailers form separate markets. The second part is focused on neighborhood supermarkets. The results differ from the general belief that independent supermarkets establish higher prices in comparison to big chain supermarkets. The analysis brings to light the heterogeneity of the competitive fringe in the oligopoly model of Brazilian retailing.Food retail, Supermarkets, Differentiation, Agribusiness, Industrial Organization,

Harmony of transitions in assessing interpersonal motivations in transcripts analysis can discriminate between Adult Attachment Interview secure and disorganized individuals

SUMMARY. Aim. Assessing Interpersonal Motivations in Transcripts (AIMIT) is a validated coding system to assess the activation of interpersonal motivational systems (IMS) in the transcripts of psychotherapy sessions. The Transition Index (TI) is an AIMIT measure that reflects the levels of organisation, synchronisation and harmony amongst two or more IMS when they are rapidly shifting or simultaneously in the clinical dialogue. It is supposed to be a measure of integration and coherence of the patient’s state of mind within the psychotherapeutic sessions. It has also been hypothesized that low TI could be a marker for disorganization of attachment of the patient leading to difficulties in the therapeutic relationships and ruptures in the therapeutic alliance. In order to assess this hypothesis we tested its capability to discriminate between Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) organized and disorganized individuals. Methods. Two groups of 15 transcriptions of AAI matched for age and sex, one classified as free-autonomous and one as disorganized, were analysed by the AIMIT method. Results. Compared to organized individuals, disorganized patients at AAI reported lower TI scores (3.7±0.63 vs 3.0±0.53; F=2.98, p=0.005). Furthermore, TI showed a good discriminant capability (Wilks’ Lambda=0.77, p=0.004). Discussion and Conclusion. This result seems to confirm the usefulness and reliability of AIMIT analysis in evaluating the interpersonal difficulties which often characterize the therapeutic relationship with disorganized attachment patient

Scale, Scope, and Specialization Effects on Retailers’ Procurement Strategies: Evidence from the Fresh Produce Markets of São Paulo

Worldwide, the emergence of large supermarket chains in food retail markets is often associated with the marginalization of smaller retailers. A notable exception exists in Brazil, however, where small retailers have held their place in the market and recently even gained ground. The literature investigating how retail concentration has affected agrifood chains has focused activities of the largest retail chains, implicitly holding the scale, scope and specialization of retailers’ input needs constant, and overlooking the influence of these factors on retailers’ procurement strategies. This paper tests hypotheses regarding these variables’ effects on retailers’ fresh produce procurement strategies. Data is drawn from a survey of retailers in metropolitan São Paulo. The research results provide insight into factors underlying retailers’ procurement strategy choices and tradeoffs among options. The results support the fundamental hypothesis of the paper that research on the competitive strategies of smaller retailers in a context of market domination by large retailers should not focus exclusively on the degree to which the smaller retailers imitate the larger retailers rather it should account for the possibility that the underlying characteristics of the retailers may make diverse competitive strategies appropriate.scale, scope, specialization, procurement strategy, fresh produce, retail, Political Economy, L22,

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AND THE BRAZILIAN FOOD INDUSTRY IN THE 90S

This work investigates the increased share of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Brazilian food industry. In addition to conferring on Brazil the important role of attracting FDI to Mercosur (the Southern Common Market), this flow of investment has caused importance changes in the Brazilian industrial organization. Increases in competition, new strategies and changes in the number of employees in the industry are a few of the more remarkable results. The main objective of this work is to investigate the reasons of entry, encountered mainly in the characteristics of the Brazilian market, and the impacts on the local industry, and to signal the long-run effects of these recent changes.Agribusiness, International Relations/Trade,

Loudspeakers performance variance due to components and assembly process - Field assessment

This paper is the continuation of the study presented at the past convention "AES Berlin 2017-142nd International Convention" regarding the main causes of scrap during the production of a typical midrange loudspeaker. Various samples with reference and modified components parameters have been built and characterized in terms of frequency response, total harmonic distortion and electrical-mechanical parameters. In addition, a second set of samples has been built using reference components but varying the assembly process parameters and these samples also have been characterized as the previous ones. After measurements performed both in an anechoic chamber and in a real production line, a new set of measurements has been done inside a production car, in order to check if the results obtained in the preceding study would have been confirmed by field measurements. In more detail, authors aim was to verify that critical components individuated in the former paper would also have a relevant role after samples installation in a vehicle

Valoración de la vía aérea por endoscopía respiratoria en el paciente pediátrico intubado

Estenosis postintubación: Se trata de una lesión traumática por el tubo endotraqueal. Globalmente; el 3 a 7% de los pacientes internados en Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos puede desarrollar estenosis subglótica. En los pacientes intubados, la acción simultánea de distintos factores puede generar lesión laríngea. Estos factores son: - Propios del paciente: tamaño de la laringe, edad, peso, lesiones previas, infecciones, hipotensión arterial, reflujo gastroesofágico, movilidad. - Propios de la Internación: tamaño y calidad del tubo endotraqueal, tiempo de intubación, maniobras reiteradas de intubación, traumatismos, episodios de reintubaciones durante la estadía en UTIP

Effectiveness of Implementing the Automatic Exchange of Information Policy in Efforts to Increase Tax Revenue

The Automatic Information Exchange policy implemented in Indonesia since 2018 has found obstacles in the utilization and processing of AEoI data. This research aims to analyze the effectiveness and factors that influence the effectiveness of AEoI policy implementation. This research uses a post-positivism approach and descriptive research type. Data collection was carried out using in-depth interviews and literature studies. The informants in this research were the Directorate General of Taxes and Tax Academics—the effectiveness of AEoI policy implementation using Richard Steers' theory. The results of the study found that the performance of the AEoI policy was quite adequate based on system perspective indicators and the emphasis on human behavior, which can be seen from the increase in the number of participants every year, the implementation of the AEoI policy according to applicable international standards, the cooperation and coordination carried out by the DJP so far has been established even though Problems found in indicators of optimization/achievement of objectives include human resource constraints, potential tax disputes, quality of data exchange, time constraints, and financial population constraints. Factors that influence the effectiveness of AEoI policy implementation include organizational characteristics, environmental characteristics, and management policies and practices. This shows that these factors influence the effectiveness of AEoI policy implementation on tax revenue efforts. However, some workers need to improve the effectiveness of implementing AEoI