A sustentabilidade na Cooperoeste: desafios da autogestão

Abstract

This master thesis linked to PPGDR - Graduation Program in Regional Development is part of a research of common interest aimed at understanding the activities carried out by the settlers from the assumptions of sustainable development promoted in the Agrarian Reform Settlements. It has as fundamental objective to analyze the actions taken in self-management process and its relationship with the sustainability in Cooperoeste, cooperative industry of milk, created and managed by families settled from the Agrarian Reform, located in São Miguel D `Oeste – in the western area of Santa Catarina. Therefore, it was conducted a case study in order to diagnose the aspects of self-management and the comprehension about sustainability in social, economic and environmental areas, from the conceptions of the members of Director Board and Coordinators of sector, as well as the actions considered sustainable as they are developed in the cooperative. It was also sought to identify from the collected information if the cooperative met the assumptions of sustainability as recommended by the Ethos Institute. However, from the results, it was found that there are actions aimed at sustainability in social and environmental aspects, but there is a predominance of actions for economic development, understood as a strategy for achieving social development and invest in environmental care. It was noticed a great concern about the continuity of the project, becoming clear the worry about the succession of the leaderships regarding the cooperative self-management process, fearing for the sustainability of the industry. It is noteworthy that even acting in the capitalist market, the cooperative proposes a self-management model that it can point to a new rationality from the collective management and division of profits, principles that characterize it. Moreover, it was observed that it meets largely the sustainability assumptions of the Ethos Institute.