MUTUAL COMMITMENTS IN TRANSACTIONS OF HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN THE SERRA FLUMINENSE

ABSTRACT This article aims to identify the factors that explain the establishment of mutual commitments between the small farmers growing horticultural products and their buyers in the Brazilian region of Serra Fluminense. It uses the theoretical framework of transaction cost economics to analyze 567 transactions performed by a sample of small farmers in seven Brazilian municipalities. The empirical study starts from previous research to construct a variable that captures two types of transactions; in the first type, the buyer provides inputs or technical assistance to the farmer, whereas no such commitment exists in the second. The descriptive statistics and a logit model show that transactions "with mutual commitment" are associated with a higher level of asset specificity and a broad set of coordination routines. Further, the building of trust emerges as a fundamental coordination mechanism even in transactions that are "without mutual commitment."

摘要：本文旨在厘清巴西弗鲁米嫩塞山区（Serra Fluminense）种植园艺产品的小农户与其采购商之间建立相互承诺的影响因素。本文采用交易成本经济学（Transaction Cost Economics）的理论框架，对巴西七个市政辖区内小农户样本开展的567笔交易进行分析。本实证研究依托前期研究成果，构建了涵盖两类交易的变量：第一类交易中采购方向农户提供生产资料或技术援助，第二类交易则无此类承诺。描述性统计与logit模型结果显示，"存在相互承诺"的交易与更高水平的资产专用性及更丰富的协调惯例显著相关。此外，即便在"无相互承诺"的交易中，信任的构建仍是核心协调机制。