Responsabilidade socioambiental do agronegócio da soja no entorno do Distrito Federal

Abstract

The primary objective of this work is to develop and apply a device that permits the analysis of the social and environmental responsibility level of the soybean producer. This device comprises 44 questions and was divided into seven themes: values and transparency; health, safety and labor conditions; water and energy use; atmospheric emissions; consumption and waste generation; environment (additional conditions) and legislation. In the research stage, visits and interviews were carried out to establish an understanding of the existing tools, initiatives, as well as of the soybean producing activity per se. It was tested and applied among ten rural property owners in the area of study. The research demonstrated a tendency towards large scale production and growing investments in mechanization, thus resulting in low levels of job creation; improvement opportunities in the management of water resources and atmospheric emissions; producers sensitivity toward environmental issues, given their involvement with nature and the understanding that the sustainability of their activity depends very closely upon nature; and importance of strengthening legal requirement mechanisms to ensure compliance, given the territorial extension and lack of availability of sufficient human resources. Based on its application, it is reasonable to conclude that the items of which this instrument is composed include most of the necessary topics found in the various tools upon which this research was based on and provides, in a simple and easy way, an analysis of the social and environmental responsibility of the soybean producer as they relate to the remaining actors of the production chain.