SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES IN THE ORGANIC AGRI-FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN

AN AMAZON ACAI BERRY CASE

Abstract

This research identifies the dimensions of sustainability developed using socio-environmental practices in organic certification and this impact on the operating performance from the relationship of dyad agro-industry-extractive farmer. The sustainable management of supply chains was used to support the dimensions of sustainability, identified through the socio-environmental criteria present in the implementation of organic certification, that meets both government legal requirements and customer pressures. Our sample is composed of 206 questionnaires. Exploratory Factor Analysis and Multiple Regression were used for data analysis and representation. Organic certification for extractive açaí farmers is represented by four dimensions: sustainable natural resources; sustainable human resources; sustainable awareness; and sustainable regulation. All the factors had a positive and significant relationship with operating performance, the greatest impact being on sustainable human resources. This paper contributed of the literature on sustainable supply chains in four aspects. First, considering the role of training human resources, which is still at early stage. Second, they present the dimensions of sustainability based on the demands of customers and the government. Third, advancing with the discussion about the importance of certifications, in our case organic agri-food, aiming at the implementation of sustainable practices, mainly for small suppliers with family businesses and difficult geographic access, such as those in our research. Fourth, they emphasize the importance of the relationship in the dyad for developing sustainable suppliers.