MATOPIBAPA: The newest and
perhaps final agricultural
frontier in Brazil
PhD Marcos Fava Neves
USP / FEARP / MARKESTRAT – [email protected]
Rafael Bordonal Kalaki
USP / FEARP / MARKESTRAT - [email protected]
Vinícius Gustavo Trombin
USP / FEARP / MARKESTRAT - [email protected]
Virgílo Vasconcelos Navaes
UNESP / FCAV / MARKESTRAT - [email protected]
AGENDA:
 Introduction
 Research Questions and Objectives
 Method Used
 Literature Review
 Results
 Conclusions and Managerial Implications
 Major References
Introduction
 1990s – 5 Brazilian states began to stand out as a new agricultural
frontier in Brazil: Maranhão (MA), Tocantins (TO), Piauí (PI), Bahia
(BA), and Pará (PA), called MATOPIBAPA
 Located in the Northeast and North regions of Brazil (2,000 km
from the city of São Paulo)
 occupy the Brazilian cerrado region (savannah-like grasslands
 2011/12 – grain production – 15.2 million tonnes (10% total BR
prod.)
 Corn and soybeans represent approximately 80% of all grains
farmed in Brazil.
Grain production in the region grew 220% in the last decade
Research Questions and Objectives
Research question:
• Does this new Brazilian agriculture frontier have the capacity to expand
its production of soybeans and corn in a competitive manner to become a
potential world supplier of grains?
Objectives of the study:
• To present an analysis of the competitiveness of the MATOPIBAPA region
• Understanding the capacity for expansion of soy and corn.
Literature Review
AUTHOR
YEAR
CONTRIBUTIONS
Goldberg
1968
Commodity system approach
Morvan
1985
Chain (“filière”)
Batalha
2001
Chain analysis
Lazzarini et al.
2001
Integrate chain and network
concepts
Porter
1980
Porter's Five Forces
Porter
1993
Porter's Diamond Model
Wright, Kroll e Parnell
2000
SWOT analysis
Hardman et al.
2002
increasing the competitiveness
Method Used
1
Literature Review
Porter’s
Diamond
of
National
Competitive
Advantage,
analysis
of
competitiveness of any
geographical unit
2
survey of primary
and secondary data
in-depth interviews with
key players , public data
base, and papers
3
compiling the
results
analyzed and strategies
were
suggested,
identifying
points
of
attention,
strategic
implications
Results:
Overview
 Grain production: 15.2 million tonnes - 10% of Brazil’s over production
(grown 43% over the past 10 years)
 Soy: around 50% of grain production and roughly 12% of all soybeans
produced in Brazil
 region’s share in production jumped from 5% to 9%
Results:
Overview
 33 million hectares subject to change of land use;
 Lower price of land (70% lower compared to the Center-West
region and 300% lower compared to Paraná)
 Growth in the usage of fertilizer
 Increase in agricultural financing (3x)
 Increased capacity for soybean processing (2x)
 There are over 170 projects improving the region’s Logistics
System
 Transgenic soybeans that are more adapted to the reality of the
region should be on the market.
Results:
SWOT Analysis of MATOPIBAPA
Results:
Porter Diamond Analysis
Results:
Paths of action and suggested actions
Conclusions and Managerial Implications

The rapid expansion of agriculture was not accompanied by sufficient
structural improvements in research, road networks, and skilled labor,
among others

Growth was significant, driven by low prices of land, rising prices of
commodities, and the accumulated knowledge of business groups and
farmers who have migrated to the region.

The region presents a strong growth trend in agricultural production,
especially corn and soy

This growth will be supported the following pillars: increased investments in
research, land prices, investments in road infrastructure, proximity to ports;
growing demand; installation of processing plants in the region and
development of livestock.
Major References:

Goldberg. R.A. 1968. Agribusiness Coordination: A System approach to Wheat. Soybean
and Florida Orange Economies. Division of Research. Graduate School of Business and
Administration. Harvard University. 256 p.

Hardman, P. A.; Darroch, M. A. G.; Ortmann, G. F. 2002. Improving cooperation to make the South
African fresh apple export value chain more competitive. Journal on Chain and Network Science,
Wageningen, v. 2, n. 1, p. 61 – 72.

Kotler, P. Administração de marketing – análise, planejamento, implementação e controle. São Paulo:
Prentice Hall, 2000. 725p.

Lazzarini. S. G. Chaddad. F. R. Cook. M. L. 2001. Integrating supply chain and network
analyses: The study of net chains. Journal on Chain and Network Science. Wageningen. v.
1. n. 1. p. 7 – 22.

Morvan. Y. 1985. Filière de Production. in Fondaments d’economie industrielle. Economica.
pp. 199-231.

Neves, M. F. 2008 Método para planejamento e gestão estratégica de sistemas
agroindustriais (GESis). São Paulo: RAUSP, v.43, n.4, p.331-343, out./nov./dez.

Wright, P.; Kroll, M. K.; Parnell, J. Administração estratégica: conceito. Tradução: Celso A. Rimoli &
Lenita R. Esteves. São Paulo: Atlas, 2000. 433p.
Thank You
[email protected]