SMALL BUSINESS NETWORKS AS A STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

Abstract

One possible strategy to be adopted by organic producers is to participate in a business network. The objective of this study is to describe a business network focused on organic production, showing its organizational structure and configuration, the characterization of the players involved in the network, and the relationships between these players. The approach used is qualitative and the case study was carried out in a small business network in the context of organic agriculture, located in the Southern Region of Brazil. This study contributes to understanding the organizational structure, configuration and characterization of the actors, as well as the relationships among these actors within the networks of farmers in the context of organic production, in order to collaborate with their development, as well as with the development of the region in which the network operates. The actors that make up the networks can be characterized as management, producers, consumers, traders, public institutions, partner organizations and advisory. With regard to the centrality of the actors in the researched network, the protagonism is with a non-governmental organization and the producers. The actors with only one connection are three, this shows that most actors relate to each other. The participation of public institutions in the network is small and actors who provide advisory services are elements with relevant influence.