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RESUMO

A variety of contracts between wineries and grape growers are observed in Brazil. This study addresses the concept of coordination of food chains, particularly the stability of contractual relationships. A qualitative analysis of industry-farmers contracts is presented, followed by a quantitative analysis testing transaction cost economics-based hypothesis. Scale, location, age of vineyard, and the cooperative organizational form are addressed in terms of the effect on the stability of contracts. Vertical and horizontal coordination are addressed. Data come from a sample of 139 grape-growers that supplied 10 major wineries. The results show that more stable contracts or vertical integration are characteristic of high quality wine production, where the need for strict contractual coordination is more relevant, i.e. risk of hold up losses is larger. We test the hypothesis that site specificity and quality-related specific investments are associated with more stable contractual architectures. Farmers' cooperatives present poorer performance but tend to hold more stable relationships with their members, possibly the result of adverse selection, since specialized farmers prefer to maintain contracts with investor-owned wineries, instead of farmers' cooperatives. Conclusions are presented in the final part

The international restructuring process in the beverage sector reached the winemaking business in the 1990s, changing its panorama. Increasing competitive pressure is a characteristic of this period with significant impact in regions such as the countries belonging to the Mercosul block. To support firm strategies and public policies, the goal of this study was to identify the competition segments in winemaking in Rio Grande do Sul, the southern state of Brazil, and in a specific form to propose a typology of wineries based on the Industrial Organization literature. The data used are from the State Wineries Data Bank of Rio Grande do Sul, which were submitted to multivariate statistical analysis, integrating a cluster and principal components analysis in a group of 381 observations. The results showed the existence of two factors, one related to scale and diversification, and the other related to the quality of the products and of the raw material. From these factors, six groups of wineries were identified that can be named segments of competition in winemaking. Group 1 is characterized by quality and specialization; group 2, by a large production scale and diversification; group 3, by a low added value; group 4, by a micro production scale; and groups 5 and 6, by a low added value, small scale, and specialization. Key words: agribusiness, diversification, scale, typology, wine SEGMENTOS DE COMPETIÇÃO EM VINÍCOLAS DO SUL DO BRASILRESUMO: O processo de reestruturação internacional no setor de bebidas atingiu a vitivinicultura na década de 1990, alterando o seu panorama. Característico a esse período é o aumento da pressão competitiva, com impactos significativos em regiões como a dos países membros do Mercosul. Para apoiar as estratégias empresariais e as políticas públicas, o objetivo deste estudo foi identificar os segmentos de concorrência da vitivinicultura do Rio Grande do Sul e, de forma específica, propor uma tipologia das vinícolas gaúchas com base na literatura da Organização Industrial. Utilizaram-se os dados do Cadastro Vinícola do Rio Grande do Sul os quais foram submetidos à análise estatística multivariada, integrando análises de agrupamento e de componentes principais em um conjunto de 381 observações. Os resultados apontaram para a existência de dois fatores, um relacionado à escala e diversificação e o outro à qualidade dos produtos e da matéria-prima. A partir desses fatores, foram identificados seis grupos de vinícolas que podem ser denominados de segmentos de concorrência na vitivinicultura gaúcha. O grupo 1 se caracteriza pela qualidade e especialização; o 2, pela grande escala de produção e diversificação; o 3, pelo baixo valor agregado; o 4, pela micro escala de produção; e os grupos 5 e 6, pelo baixo valor agregado, pequena escala e especialização.

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