Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:50:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseICR.pdf: 3185739 bytes, checksum: 16649590613a10440edd9845ba2ad3ab (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004-04-02 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / The sugar cane culture always was been associated, throughout its history, with ambient degradation and social contingencies. The positioning, on the part of the sugar cane industry, with relation to the negative impacts of its activity on the environment has been defensive, limited to fulfill the legal impositions. In this context, calls the attention the initiative of some sugar cane plants that had decided to produce certified sugar cane and certified organic sugar. This work discusses the motivations that had taken these plants to adopt this system of production and the factors that had concurred for this decision. It starts from the hypothesis that the basic motivation for this decision was the search for a differentiated product, with characteristics valued for the market, and, therefore, apt to increase the profit tax and valuing the capital. The work also allows analyzing until with point the premises of the Sustainable Development are observed by the plants when of its decisions of investments. From of the definition of that the sustainable development must incorporate the regional questions, the sugar cane industry in the Hydrographic Basin of the river Mogi-Guaçu was chosen for the study, because it is in this basin that is found the biggest productive portion of this sector in the country. The research carried through in one of the productive units in the Basin allowed to the construction of a diagnosis of the activity in the regional clipping and a delineation of the necessary changes to the organic production. The resultant diagnosis of the field research allowed concluding that the environment conditions of the plants that had opted to the organic production are significantly improved, but the premises foreseen by the organic certification are incapable to contemplate all the social and environment problems of this activity. The main problems are associated to the extensive exploration of the agricultural activity and the questions of exclusion of workers and small suppliers, generating social problems in the region of the enterprise. The analysis of the plants that had opted to the conversion demonstrates different strategies between them, but the research points out that the motivation that had taken them to decide for the conversion, was directed by the search for a differentiated product. The work concludes that the tools of ambient regulation, based in the market demand, as it is the case of the certificates and labels, is insufficient to contemplate all the premises of the regional sustainable development and that still it becomes necessary the performance of the State and its agencies in the regulation of the access, use and of the occupation of the agricultural space. / A atividade canavieira sempre esteve associada, ao longo de sua história, a quadros de degradação ambiental e contingências sociais. O posicionamento por parte da agroindústria canavieira com relação aos impactos negativos de sua atividade sobre o meio ambiente tem sido defensivo, se limitado a cumprir as imposições legais. Neste cenário, chama atenção a iniciativa de algumas usinas do setor que decidiram produzir cana-de-açúcar e açúcar orgânico certificado. Este trabalho discute as motivações que levaram estas usinas a adotarem este sistema de produção e as condicionantes que concorreram para esta decisão. Parte-se da hipótese que a motivação fundamental para esta decisão foi a busca por um produto diferenciado, com características valorizadas pelo mercado. Este trabalho também permite analisar até que ponto as necessidades associadas às premissas do Desenvolvimento Sustentável são observadas pelas usinas quando de suas decisões de investimentos em um produto diferenciado por atributos de preservação ambiental como é o açúcar orgânico. Partindo da definição de que o desenvolvimento sustentável deve incorporar a questão regional, escolheu-se para o estudo o setor sucroalcooleiro localizado na Bacia Hidrográfica do rio Mogi-Guaçu, pois é nesta bacia que se encontra a maior porção produtiva do setor e, além disto, há na região duas unidades produzindo o açúcar orgânico. A pesquisa em uma amostra das unidades produtivas situadas na Bacia permitiu a construção de um diagnóstico socioambiental da atividade no recorte regional e um delineamento das mudanças necessárias para a conversão à produção orgânica. O diagnóstico resultante da pesquisa de campo permitiu concluir que as condições ambientais das usinas que optaram pela produção orgânica são sensivelmente melhoradas, mas as premissas previstas pela certificação orgânica são incapazes de contemplar todos os constrangimentos socioambientais desta atividade. Os principais problemas estão associados à exploração extensiva (monocultura) da atividade agrícola e as questões de exclusão de mão-de-obra e de pequenos fornecedores, gerando problemas sociais na região do empreendimento. A análise das usinas que optaram pela conversão demonstra estratégias diferentes entre elas, mas a pesquisa aponta que a motivação que as levaram decidir pela conversão, foi calcada na busca por um produto diferenciado, apto a ingressar em nichos de mercado com um preço valorizado. O trabalho conclui que as ferramentas de regulação ambiental, baseadas na demanda de mercado, como é o caso dos certificados e selos, são insuficientes para contemplar todas as premissas do desenvolvimento sustentável regional e que ainda se faz necessário a atuação do Estado e suas agências na regulação do acesso, uso e da ocupação do espaço agrícola.

The pomegranate fruit is one of the high valued crops, but there is insufficient information regarding the fruit properties in South Africa. The aim of the study was to evaluate the physico-chemical properties as well as total phenols, anthocyanin, antioxidant, organic sugars and acids of cultivar Wonderful on three locations of the Western Cape. This study was conducted on mature pomegranate fruits harvested in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Fruit weight (g), length (mm), and width (mm), peel/aril colour and total arils weights (g) were measured. Fruits were also analysed for total soluble solids (TSS) or °Brix), titratable acidity (TA) and juice pH. Results of the study showed that there were significant differences in all measured factors with the exception of % aril yield between the three locations. Though varied per season, fruits produced at Bonnievalle had better physical and chemical properties than at the other localities. With the exception of Aril hue angle, all measured parameters had significant interaction effect regardless of locality (P<0.05). Total soluble solids content varied from 16.0–17.3 (°Brix), pH values from 2.7–3.0, titratable acid content varied from 1.3–1.7 and maturity index from 9.7–13.4. The anthocyanin, total phenols and antioxidant were in order of 772–1134; 1611–1834 and 12.57–14.84. Organic acids (Citric and Malic) showed differences while Acetic acid was not significant in all areas and organic sugar (fructose, Glucose and Sucrose) all had significant differences. It can also be concluded that changes in colour of peel and arils of pomegranate (cv. Wonderful) was mostly as a result of seasonal variation as well as growing area as evident by the interaction between both main factors. / Agriculture / M.Sc (Agriculture)

The pomegranate fruit is one of the high valued crops, but there is insufficient information regarding the fruit properties in South Africa. The aim of the study was to evaluate the physico-chemical properties as well as total phenols, anthocyanin, antioxidant, organic sugars and acids of cultivar Wonderful on three locations of the Western Cape. This study was conducted on mature pomegranate fruits harvested in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Fruit weight (g), length (mm), and width (mm), peel/aril colour and total arils weights (g) were measured. Fruits were also analysed for total soluble solids (TSS) or °Brix), titratable acidity (TA) and juice pH. Results of the study showed that there were significant differences in all measured factors with the exception of % aril yield between the three locations. Though varied per season, fruits produced at Bonnievalle had better physical and chemical properties than at the other localities. With the exception of Aril hue angle, all measured parameters had significant interaction effect regardless of locality (P<0.05). Total soluble solids content varied from 16.0–17.3 (°Brix), pH values from 2.7–3.0, titratable acid content varied from 1.3–1.7 and maturity index from 9.7–13.4. The anthocyanin, total phenols and antioxidant were in order of 772–1134; 1611–1834 and 12.57–14.84. Organic acids (Citric and Malic) showed differences while Acetic acid was not significant in all areas and organic sugar (fructose, Glucose and Sucrose) all had significant differences. It can also be concluded that changes in colour of peel and arils of pomegranate (cv. Wonderful) was mostly as a result of seasonal variation as well as growing area as evident by the interaction between both main factors. / Agriculture / M. Sc (Agriculture)