Information flow in the Sino-Brazilian beef trade

Abstract

Considering the opportunities offered by the Chinese beef market and the fragilities in the Sino-Brazilian beef trade supply chain, this study aims to identify the main sources and channels used by Brazilian beef packers to obtain information on the Chinese market. The results reveal that the Brazilian beef packers and institutions within the export sector have little knowledge regarding the Chinese market. Neither the size nor the export experience of the beef packing firms and the foreign direct investment seem to significantly influence the quality of the knowledge they hold on the Chinese beef market. The sector has neither an integrated database containing the essential information on the Chinese market nor a unified traceability system in place that could facilitate the information flow among the agents within the beef supply chain. Consequently, firms need to dedicate substantial management resources (time, financial and human) to collect information from various sources.