Cadeia de valor do leite em Colméia-TO: Análise a partir da teoria das Cadeias Globais de Valor

Abstract

The dairy value chain is one of the most important for economic and social development. It plays a fundamental role in generating employment and income as well as ensuring food security by providing society with nutritious, healthy, and affordable food. Additionally, it offers regular employment and income, especially for small family farms around the globe. Brazil is the fourth-largest milk producer globally, with the South and Southeast regions leading in production. Although still in its early stages, the milk value chain has expanded significantly in agricultural frontier regions, such as the state of Tocantins, which is currently the third-largest producer in the North region. The municipality of Colméia is the largest producer in the state; however, scientific literature on its dairy chain remains scarce, emphasizing the need for further documentation. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the dairy value chain in Colméia- TO, using the Global Value Chain theory. The research methodology followed a qualitative, applied approach, employing an inductive method with descriptive and exploratory objectives. The methodological procedures included bibliographic and documentary research, as well as semi-structured interviews for primary data collection. Between October 2023 and February 2024, 43 interviews were conducted, including 18 with dairy farmers, 6 with representatives from dairy processing agro-industries, 4 with professionals linked to the chain, 8 with historical stakeholders, 4 with input suppliers, 1 with an intermediary, and 2 representatives from public institutions for sanitary inspection and rural extension. The sampling was non-probabilistic, using linear and intentional Snowball Sampling techniques. The interviews were recorded and manually transcribed. Data analysis and interpretation followed the qualitative research method known as Content Analysis. The cultural profile of Colméia's population influenced the emergence and development of the dairy chain. Due to internal migration from the South, Southeast, and Midwest regions, especially from Minas Gerais and Goiás, the demand for dairy products increased. To address the shortage, migrants brought livestock from other states and began local milk production and processing activities. The study identified factors that contributed to the growth of the dairy chain, such as: culture, property size, the municipality's geography, and the lack of alternative income sources. The results revealed that the chain faces challenges mainly related to the socio-institutional context and geographical scope, such as low milk quality, difficulties in conducting analyses at accredited laboratories, underutilized capacity of dairy processing plants, a limited product portfolio, low education levels, poor stakeholder training, aging farmers coupled with a lack of generational succession, scarcity of skilled and manual labor, and a lack of courses in the state addressing industrial dairy mechanics. Additional challenges include deficient infrastructure, lack of technical assistance, absence of land titles for rural settlement properties, limited access to credit and certifications, lack of formal contracts and low levels of social organization and cooperativism, and abandonment of the activity.