Avaliação da contribuição potencial das principais atividades agropecuárias para o desenvolvimento econômico da região noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul.

Abstract

The present study aims at identifying the main agricultural activities in the historical process of economic development in the northwest of Rio Grande do Sul and analyze their characteristics in order to evaluate the potential they represent while promoting regional development. It analyzes the process of occupation of the Region, especially the establishment of its economic structure, analyzing the historical trajectory of changes and redefinitions of its economic base, and also the characteristics of the major food chains, to evaluate their potential contribution to the region's development, and the alternative solutions by exploiting the economic potential identified, in order to support and subsidize the development of strategies for regional development. The research methodology based on the theory of export base developed by Douglass North has been defined with five main stages: identification of productive activities structuring of the regional economy assessment of the market prospects of these overall activities, analysis of the competitive potential of the region in those markets with in view of the potential of competing regions, analysis of the characteristics of each activity, the organization of its supply chain and establishing links with complementary activities and subsidiaries in the territory, and scale of the economic impact of activities through its multiplier effect on income generation in territory. We identified the importance wheat production and soybean production had for the region's development over the last decades of the twentieth century based on the results of this analysis and the possibility of diversifying the export base for giving the potential contribution representing the dairy, pig and poultry that has reached the standards of competitiveness in foreign markets. It is amenable the expansion of joint production systems in the region, through an effort to internalize new links in supply chains. The production of goods for export generates a relatively constant demand for the supply of machinery and equipment, industrial and agricultural inputs, technical services and marketing that can be provided by economic agents from the region itself, thus avoiding that a portion of the proceeds from abroad will be sent out again for the purchase of such ingredients in production. This is an effort to increase the multiplier effect of the income generated by the various supply chains that make up the export base. Finally, considering that the social relations of production are constantly changing, a constant changing in competitive conditions is of fundamental importance for the development of a region entrepreneurial capacity of its economic agents and the competence of their innovation systems. Discovering new markets, finding new sources of raw materials, developing new products, creating new methods of production or articulate new organizational arrangements are crucial virtues of entrepreneurs to develop their businesses. We need to maintain competitiveness in consolidated industries and opportunities that present themselves for competitive ability in new segments.