Este artigo apresenta um modelo matemático de otimização logística para o transporte multimodal de safras agrícolas pelo corredor Centro-Oeste. Tal ferramenta foi desenvolvida no contexto de três amplos projetos de pesquisa financiados pela FINEP e executados por um grupo de universidades. O modelo, conhecido genericamente como Modelo de fluxo de Custo Mínimo Multiproduto, considera a otimização de fluxos em rede, para os produtos açúcar, álcool, milho, soja, óleo de soja, farelo de soja e trigo. O modelo proposto para estimativa dos fluxos inter-regionais mostrou-se uma ferramenta factível para fins de avaliação do potencial de utilização da multimodalidade. A análise destes resultados gera importantes subsídios para a seleção dos locais com potencial para instalação de mecanismos e equipamentos de transferência de cargas, além de auxiliar no dimensionamento dessas infraestruturas. Também é um resultado importante do ferramental desenvolvido a identificação das zonas de cargas que apresentam potencial captável pelas ferrovias, hidrovias e dutovias, ou seja, possibilita a identificação das regiões que revelam potencial para uso da multimodalidade.; This paper presents a mathematical model for the optimization of multimodal transport logistic for agricultural products by Center West corridor. The tool was developed in a context of three broad research projects financed by FINEP and accomplished by a group of universities. The model...

O Brasil possui um grande potencial agrícola e deve ampliar suas exportações para reduzir o déficit em transações correntes. No entanto, as exportações agrícolas brasileiras estão sujeitas a restrições tarifárias e não-tarifárias nos Estados Unidos e na União Européia, mercados importantes para o Brasil. Este trabalho visou a avaliar a incidência de picos tarifários, quotas tarifárias, barreiras técnicas e barreiras sanitárias e fitossanitárias sobre o valor das exportações agrícolas brasileiras nos Estados Unidos e na União Européia, definir as medidas de proteção mais usadas por cada um desses parceiros comerciais e verificar os principais produtos e complexos agrícolas sujeitos a essas medidas no ano 2000, através da utilização dos índices de cobertura e freqüência.; Brazil has a large agricultural potential and must increase its exports to reduce the deficit in current transactions. However, Brazilian agricultural exports are subject to tariff and non-tariff trade restrictions in the United States and European Union, which are important markets for Brazil. The purpose of this theses was to evaluate the importance of tariff peaks, tariff rate quotas, technical barriers, sanitary and phytosanitary measures over Brazilian agricultural export value in the United States and European Union...

O presente estudo visa a discutir a influência do sistema de quotas tarifárias sobre as exportações agroindustriais brasileiras. Para tanto, descreve o funcionamento e as características das quotas tarifárias e aponta algumas inconsistências em relação aos princípios de não-discriminação e transparência, do sistema GATT/OMC, e perante o compromisso de acesso mínimo e corrente proposto no Acordo sobre Agricultura da Rodada Uruguai (AARU). Por meio de ilustrações gráficas, o presente trabalho demonstra os fatores condicionantes e os efeitos sobre o bem-estar, desvio de renda e possíveis impactos sobre a demanda por importação. Cabe salientar que as ilustrações gráficas desta pesquisa são caracterizadas como seu instrumental metodológico, enquanto a teoria microeconômica e a economia internacional compõem seu arcabouço teórico. Além disso, foram escolhidos como mais importantes, 32 produtos agroindustriais da pauta exportadora brasileira, o que resultou na análise de 352 dentre 1.425 quotas tarifárias, compreendendo 26 dos 43 países que impõem este sistema às suas importações. Os resultados apontaram para uma interferência do sistema de quotas tarifárias sobre a exportação agroindustrial brasileira. Não puderam demonstrar...

Esta tese realizou-se com o intuito de melhor conhecer a proteção tarifária agrícola da União Européia (UE) e sua eventual associação com a Política Agrícola Comum (PAC). A hipótese implícita nesse trabalho é a de que há uma discriminação tarifária na pauta agrícola da UE; discriminação essa que estaria associada à estrutura da PAC. Nesses termos, o trabalho teve três objetivos complementares. Em primeiro lugar, buscou-se medir a magnitude das tarifas praticadas pela União Européia sobre os produtos agrícolas exportados pelo Brasil. Como segundo ponto, procurou-se identificar a existência de discriminação tarifária entre os grupos de produtos agrícolas presentes na pauta de tarifas do bloco europeu. E, por fim, avaliou-se a eventual existência de simultaneidade entre a proteção tarifária e as políticas domésticas de suporte à agricultura comunitária. A teoria visitada e os trabalhos já realizados com tal pano de fundo sugeriram que há grupos de produtos particularmente protegidos pelas tarifas agrícolas do bloco europeu. Esses mesmos trabalhos também apontaram para o caráter de permanência das políticas de apoio à agricultura da União Européia, mesmo após as reformas da PAC em 1992 e 2000. Tais políticas não são homogêneas; antes disso...

O objetivo geral deste trabalho foi analisar e discutir a problemática da contabilização, pelos depositários, das operações de depósito mercantil de produtos agrícolas feitas por produtores junto as tradings e agroindústrias no estado do Paraná. Dos três enfoques específicos dados a esse objetivo, o primeiro buscou identificar e analisar as características dessas operações no sentido de avaliar se elas satisfazem os critérios contábeis para o seu reconhecimento nas demonstrações contábeis do depositário. O segundo buscou identificar a política contábil adotada em relação ao reconhecimento ou não dessas operações pelas tradings e agroindústrias do estado do Paraná, enquanto o terceiro tratou de identificar e analisar os critérios observados por essas empresas para a escolha da política contábil adotada. A amostra dos dados foi selecionada pelo método de Amostragem Intencional e foi constituída por um conjunto de dez empresas, listadas entre as que detêm a maior representatividade na comercialização de soja e milho no estado do Paraná. No conjunto, essas dez empresas representaram, na safra 2001/2002, 44,5% da comercialização da soja e 21,3% da comercialização do milho do estado do Paraná. A pesquisa empírica identificou três modalidades de depósito com as quais essas empresas operam...

A secagem para conservação de produtos agrícolas e alimentícios e feita geralmente com emprego de eletricidade ou combustível fóssil, que incrementa o custo do produto final. Dessa forma, faz-se necessário o desenvolvimento de sistemas que utilizam energia renovável, como a solar, de modo a reduzir custos sem prejuízo na qualidade do produto. Assim, um secador solar de convecção natural misto foi projetado e construído, bem como um sistema de aquisição de dados (SAD) utilizando telemetria, para monitorar temperatura e umidade relativa, ambas do ar, no interior do secador. Para o projeto do secador pesquisou-se na literatura diversos modelos já estudados, a m de reunir idéias para definição de um modelo particular. Apos construiu, um teste operacional foi realizado no secador, utilizando tomate cereja. O SAD foi construído em três partes: o transmissor com os sensores, protegido em caixa selada e afixado ao secador solar; o receptor, acoplado a um PC em local abrigado e cerda de 60 m distante do secador; e o software de aquisição de dados no PC. Os sensores foram fixados em três pontos diferentes do secador e protegidos com pedaços de tubo de PVC. O transmissor permite visualização instantânea de dados num LCD...

A reconstituição do contorno topográfico com geometria simétrica ou assimétrica é uma necessidade fundamental para a ciência e para o desenvolvimento tecnológico. A aplicação do levantamento da topografia dos objetos é refletida em vários campos da ciência como biologia, ortopedia, próteses e órteses humanas, diagnósticos médicos, predição de resultados cirúrgicos, medicina veterinária, controle de qualidade e inspeção industrial, engenharia reversa, modelagem matemática, mecânica dos sólidos, composites, projetos estruturais, elementos de máquinas, robótica e visão de máquina. Este trabalho devota especial atenção a problemas de Engenharia Agrícola tais como definição dos contornos topográficos de animais e produtos vegetais, projetos de elementos de máquinas agrícolas, arquitetura de plantas, interações maquina-solo e maquina-planta, contato pneu-solo, seleção e classificação de produtos agrícolas, determinação de propriedades mecânicas de solo e vegetais, estudos sobre práticas de preparo do solo projetos de embalagens para produtos agrícolas e outros. Entre os métodos perfilométricos mostrados na literatura as técnicas de moiré são consideradas as mais rápidas, de baixo custo...

This paper studies the extent and determinants of intra-industry trade (IIT) in agricultural products of China for the period 1997-2006. The IIT index shows that the level of IIT in agricultural products between China and its thirteen main trading partners is not high. Using a panel data analysis, the empirical results of determinants of IIT indicate that differences in per-capita income and geographical distance have a negative effect on Chinese IIT in agricultural products. Free trade agreements between China and some trading partners weaken the negative effect of per-capita income differences on IIT. The results also suggest that cultural similarity between China and some countries has a positive influence on this type of trade.

This paper studies the extent and determinants of intra-industry trade (IIT) in agricultural products of China for the period 1997-2006. The IIT index shows that the level of IIT in agricultural products between China and its thirteen main trading partners is not high. Using a panel data analysis, the empirical results of determinants of IIT indicate that differences in per-capita income and geographical distance have a negative effect on Chinese IIT in agricultural products. Free trade agreements between China and some trading partners weaken the negative effect of per-capita income differences on IIT. The results also suggest that cultural similarity between China and some countries has a positive influence on this type of trade.

The East Asian economies continue to have a major interest in the global liberalization of trade in industrial products. This interest is even more pronounced in the context of the deepening of the supply chain linkages in East Asia, a process that is associated in part with restructuring in Japan, Chinese Taipei and Korea and also the emergence of China in the world trading system. A number of formulae for negotiating industrial tariff reductions are now on the table in Geneva (including proposals from Japan, South Korea, China, Chinese Taipei, the United States and the European Union), and a first draft of the ‘modalities’ paper for achieving such cuts under the Doha Round was recently released. This paper reviews the impact of these formulae and comments on their relevance to countries in the East Asian community, including to the important goal of reforming their own tariff regimes. A genuine ‘top-down’ formula approach modeled on the Swiss approach is seen to offer the best economic prospects for multilateral tariff reform. Other risks in the approaches to industrial goods liberalisation, including more widespread application of anti-dumping and other safeguard measures, are also examined. The proliferation of anti-dumping action...

The study of international trade in agricultural products has developed rapidly over the past fifty years. In the 1960s the disarray in world agriculture caused by domestic price support policies became the focus of analytical studies. There followed attempts to measure the distortions caused by policies also in developing countries and to model their impact on world agricultural markets. Tools were advanced to explain the trends and variations in world prices and the implications of market imperfections. Challenges for the future include analyzing trade based on consumer preferences for certain production methods and understanding the impact of climate change mitigation and adaptation on trade.; Tim Josling, Kym Anderson, Andrew Schmitz and Stefan Tangermann

This study provides a review of the food and agricultural sector in Ukraine. It assesses the current status of the food and agricultural sector with special reference to the agricultural policy regime and the form and level of government support to the sector. The paper reviews the sector's readiness to compete on open global markets for food and agricultural products. Given the importance and sensitivity of the food and agriculture sector in the country, the report highlights a number of critical issues for the Ukrainian government to address. The report goes beyond the narrower focus of the agricultural policies and reviews the status of current rural physical and social infrastructure and issues of rural poverty. The Executive Summary highlights policy recommendations for Ukrainian policymakers, while the individual chapters provide technical analysis on key policy issues.

High levels of protection and domestic support for farmers in industrial countries significantly affect many developing countries, both directly and through the price-depressing effect of agricultural support policies. High tariffs--in both rich and poor countries--and domestic support may also lower the world price of agricultural products, benefiting net importers. The authors assess the impact of reducing tariffs and domestic support in a sample of 119 countries. Least developed countries (LDCs) are disproportionately affected by agricultural support policies. More than 18 percent of LDC exports are subject to domestic support in at least one World Trade Organization (WTO) member, as compared to only 9 percent of their imports. For other developing countries the figures are around 4 percent for both their exports and imports. So, the prevailing pattern of trade suggests the world price-reducing effect of agricultural domestic support policies may induce a welfare loss in LDCs. The authors develop a simple partial equilibrium model of global trade in commodities that benefit from domestic support in at least one WTO member. The simulation results suggest there will be large differences between LDCs and other developing economies in terms of the impact of a 50 percent cut in tariffs as compared to a 50 percent cut in domestic support. Developing countries as a group would suffer a welfare loss from a cut in support...

Accounting for around a third of the 1996 Goss Domestic Product (GDP) of US$ 9 billion (second only to oil), and almost three-fourths of all employment, agriculture is a dominant sector of the Cameroonian economy. Also, as in most African countries, poverty in Cameroon is concentrated in rural areas, with more than 80 percent (approximately 5.5 million) of all poor people living in such areas. The Government of Cameroon's objectives include the need to create a sectoral environment favorable to reviving agricultural production; ensure food security; increase farm incomes by improving productivity and reducing the costs of production; and render agricultural products competitive in domestic and international markets. It is committed to progressively liberalizing the marketing's of inputs and traditional export commodities, and privatizing agricultural development activities. Consequently, inasmuch as poverty reduction and economic growth are at the core of the World Bank's Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for Cameroon...

The issue of regional differences in development has moved to the center of the development debate in Sri Lanka, partly after the release of regional poverty data. For the past many years, there have been significant and increasing differences between the Western province and the rest of the country in terms of per capita income levels, growth rates of per capita income, poverty rates, and the structure of provincial economies. The structure of the report is as follows: chapter two looks at the poverty/growth/agriculture nexus in the poorest regions of Sri Lanka. It presents data on poverty and growth in the poorest provinces, especially Uva and Sabaragamuwa, and provides an analysis of factors associated with the rural poor. Chapter three provides an overview and brief discussion of the Government's agricultural policies and programs. Chapter four identifies constraints that restrict farmers' incomes in the four poorest provinces. It presents results from extensive stakeholder consultations carried out in these provinces. These results are complemented with findings from the 2005 rural investment climate assessment to identify some of the general constraints in the agriculture sector in Sri Lanka. Chapter five presents the findings of an agricultural resource audit of small-scale farmers in the poorest regions that analyzed production...

Agricultural growth rates in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region have been much slower than the rest of the developing world. In the regions of East Asia, South Asia and Middle East and North Africa, the annual growth of agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1980-2004 exceeded 3 percent, while growth in Sub- Saharan Africa averaged almost 3 percent. This paper attempts to present an overview of the agricultural sector in LAC, discuss its distinctive features, and the potential role of Information and Communication Technology's (ICTs) in improving agricultural productivity and market efficiency in this region. The discussion in this paper will refer to the evidence provided by studies that evaluate the impact of ICTs interventions. While the emphasis will be put on the studies that evaluate interventions in the LAC region, there will also be references to studies in other developing economies whenever these are pertinent to the LAC context. The commercialization of agricultural products has suffered important transformations in recent decades...

The authors create a standards restrictiveness index using newly available data on maximum residue levels of pesticides for 61 importing countries. The paper analyzes the impact that food safety standards have on international trade of agricultural products. The findings suggest that more restrictive standards are associated, on average, with a lower probability of observing trade. However, after controlling for sample selection and the proportion of exporting firms in a gravity model, the analysis finds that the effect of standards on trade intensity is indistinguishable from zero. This is consistent with the assumption that meeting stringent standards increases primarily the fixed costs of exporting. Once firms enter the market, however, standards do not impact the level of exports. The analysis also finds a greater marginal effect of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) standards on the probability of trade, relative to other countries' standards, keeping in mind however that on average BRICS standards are less restrictive. The analysis also suggests that exporters in low-income countries are more adversely affected by stricter standards.

The agri-food sector is an important part of the Ukrainian economy. Agriculture could make an even larger contribution to economic growth and the vitality of rural areas in Ukraine than is currently the case. Ukraine has the agro-climatic potential to be a major player on world agricultural markets. Agricultural competitiveness in Ukraine also suffers from inadequate systems to test and document food product quality and food safety. Ukraine's food safety control system is complicated and characterized by fragmented and often overlapping jurisdictions. Many standards applied in Ukraine are inconsistent with World Trade Organization (WTO) provisions, with standards established by the responsible international bodies and with accepted practices in international trade. Without improvements towards an efficient and internationally recognized food quality and safety control system, Ukrainian agriculture will find it increasingly difficult to sell into international markets and its products will not be able to command top prices. The ban on Ukrainian meat...

This study provides a review of the food and agricultural sector in Ukraine. It assesses the current status of the food and agricultural sector with special reference to the agricultural policy regime and the form and level of government support to the sector. The paper reviews the sector's readiness to compete on open global markets for food and agricultural products. Given the importance and sensitivity of the food and agriculture sector in the country, the report highlights a number of critical issues for the Ukrainian government to address. The report goes beyond the narrower focus of the agricultural policies and reviews the status of current rural physical and social infrastructure and issues of rural poverty. The Executive Summary highlights policy recommendations for Ukrainian policymakers, while the individual chapters provide technical analysis on key policy issues.

The municipality evaluated is São Gabriel do Oeste, located in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. In the 1960's the region was occupied by migrants from southern Brazil who have converted native vegetation (savanna) into extensive cattle and monocrops (coffee, cotton, soybeans and corn, successively), and more recently intensive swine was introduced. The following emergy indicators were calculated for the current municipal situation: Renewability (%R): 8%; Emergy yield ratio (EYR): 14; Emergy investment ratio (EIR): 0.08; Environmental loading ratio (ELR): 11; Emergy exchange ratio (EER): 13 and Transformity of the commodities: 8x105seJ.J-1. The very low %R and high environmental pressure (ELR) signalize that the municipality's economy is highly dependent on external inputs. Above all, there is a high loss of system internal stocks (soil) and the high EYR obtained is directly related to this predatory land use. The emergy value of the soil loss is 83% of the total emergy, which is an environmental imbalanced situation. The main land use in São Gabriel do Oeste, accounting for 39% of the territory, is extensive cattle farming that demands few agricultural inputs, what explains the very low EIR. The EER shows that the rural area is subsidizing urban economies that import products from the study area. The real value of the agricultural products should be 13 times the market value of such commodities to be considered as a fair trade. The inclusion of soil loss as a negative externality shows that (in economic terms) the amount of soil lost by erosion and leaching (4...