Climate change has emerged as one of the most serious challenges faced by human beings. As manufacturing globalisation involves more and more emerging nations, a greater proportion of CO2 emissions is generated from developing countries. The dilemma between fast industrial development and carbon reduction makes firms in developing nations reluctant to take serious commitment and actions in CO2 emission reduction in their global manufacturing practices. From a theoretical perspective, low-carbon supply networks research is also still in its infant stage and needs more explorations and development. Therefore this research aims to address the research question: “How can supply networks in developing countries be developed to reduce carbon emission?” Especially it focuses on: • An influence process to engage companies in developing countries to reduce carbon emission • A typology of carbon emission assessments in supply networks • An initial process of implementing carbon-reduction projects in supply network The research adopts theory building approach based on multiple case studies. The units of analysis are carbon reduction project of focal firms and initiatives of Non-Government Organizations (NGO). Drawing upon the cases, this research develops a general framework for developing low-carbon supply network, including three parts namely network influence, network CO2 measurement, and network CO2 improvement (IMI), with the three process models accordingly proposed. In the ‘influence’ process, based on resource dependence theory (RDT), this research illustrates a categorization of influence choices and a typology of influence pathways, which both underpin the four-step influence procedure proposed later. In the ‘measurement’ process, this research proposes a goal-oriented carbon footprint measurement guideline. In the “improvement’ process, an initial framework to classify carbon reduction projects and implementation process model of these projects are both built based on the analysis of primary case studies and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) database which contains corporates’ carbon reduction practices. Overall this research makes contributions in the following aspects: (1) this research advocates IMI framework as a pathway to de-carbonize supply networks, contributing to manufacturing system’s evolution to sustainable paradigm; (2) It integrates the institutional, stakeholder and network theory in the context of de-carbonization, and extends the research scope of operations management; (3) The research contributes to life cycle assessment (LCA) literature by exploring supply network coordination during the LCA procedure; (4) The research also contributes to green supply chain literature by providing insights from firms’ de-carbonization projects in supply network. (5) In practice, the IMI three-process models can help practitioners to implement de-carbonization management, serving as a preliminary guideline to follow. The potential audience of this research can be MNCs, NGOs, government bodies, consultants, and any organization or individual who aim to change industrial system in the pursuit of climate change mitigation.

Apesar de o Brasil ser um país de destaque na produção e comercialização de produtos agropecuários, o setor produtivo de pescado ainda está em desenvolvimento no país. Os estudos sobre os sistemas agroalimentares são importantes ferramentas que permitem conhecer as cadeias produtivas, identificar entraves, formular estratégias e políticas públicas e privadas, visando o desenvolvimento do setor. Dessa forma, este trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar o sistema agroindustrial do pescado no Brasil, identificar seus principais entraves e analisar a atuação governamental perante tais problemas. Para tal, foram consultados órgãos governamentais, associações, bancos de dados, publicações e pessoas relacionadas ao segmento. O sistema agroindustrial, dividido em pesca, aquicultura, indústria e comércio, foi caracterizado quanto ao volume de produção, valores financeiros e número de estabelecimentos e trabalhadores. Após a identificação de entraves ao desenvolvimento do setor, como o estado de sobrepesca dos principais recursos pesqueiros, os diversos problemas enfrentados pela aquicultura, a baixa qualidade higiênico-sanitária dos produtos comercializados, a escassez de informações setoriais publicadas e o baixo consumo de pescado no Brasil, a atuação dos serviços oficiais foi analisada e discutida. Foram identificados como problemas de gestão governamental a sobreposição de funções dos diversos órgãos administradores, a falta de coordenação entre esses órgãos, a ausência de fiscalização do cumprimento da legislação, a carência de políticas públicas claras, a dificuldade na obtenção de crédito para o investimento, a escassez de informações setoriais publicadas, entre outros. Algumas sugestões para o ordenamento do segmento do pescado foram feitas, como a reorganização institucional e definição de governança, a atualização da legislação, a contratação e treinamento de pessoas para a fiscalização, a definição de políticas claras para a aquicultura, o incentivo a pesquisas por informações setoriais e divulgação de dados confiáveis e atualizados. Apesar do desenvolvimento setorial após a criação da Secretaria Especial de Pesca e Aquicultura, o setor ainda enfrenta muitos problemas que necessitam solução a fim de desenvolver esse sistema produtivo e elevar o Brasil a um nível de maior importância na produção mundial de pescado. / Although Brazil is a prominent country in agricultural products production and commercialization, the fishery productive sector is still in development in this country. The agri-food systems studies are important tools that allow us to know the product chains, to identify impediments, to formulate strategies and private and public policies, aiming to develop the sector. Therefore, this work had as objective to characterize the Brazilian fishery agri-industrial system, to identify its main impediments and to analyse the governmental performance in the presence of such problems. Hence, governmental agencies, associations, databases, publications and people related to the segment were consulted. The agri-food system, split in fishery, aquaculture, industry and commence, were characterized in terms of production, financial values and establishments and workers number. After the identification of the impediments to the sector development, such as the main fishery resources stocks in overfished state, the various issues faced by aquaculture, the low hygienic-sanitary quality of the commercialized products, the shortage sectorial information and the low fishery products consumption in Brazil, the governmental agencies performance was analysed and discussed. The agencies overlapping functions, the lack of coordination between these agencies, the deprivation of inspection, the absence of clear public policies, the difficulties to acquire credit to invest, the shortage sectorial information, among others, were identified as governmental management problems. Some suggestions were made in order to organize the sector, like the institutional reorganization and the governance definition, the legislation update, hiring and training people to inspect, defining clear policies for aquaculture, stimulating the sectorial researches and spreading trustworthy and up to date data. In spite of the sectorial development after the creation of Special Secretariat of Fishery and Aquaculture, the sector still faces many issues that have to be solved in order to develop this production system and to raise Brazil to a level of bigger importance in the worldwide fishery production.

O trabalho apresenta como inovação, inclusive em nível internacional, a utilização de métodos e técnicas de engenharia de software e de sistemas aplicadas aos Sistemas Agroindustriais (SAG), definindo uma metodologia objetivando facilitar maior compreensão dos relacionamentos e atividades dos diversos agentes componentes de um SAG; modelar graficamente as atividades dos agentes e demais envolvidos em cada etapa de uma cadeia produtiva, através de IDEF0, BPMN e Casos de Uso; identificar informações para qualidade, rastreabilidade do produto e seus insumos ao longo da cadeia produtiva. Efetua, também com caráter inovador, a aplicação dessa metodologia na área de produtos exóticos através da modelagem de atividades pertencentes ao SAG da Malacocultura Continental (criação comercial de escargots), agronegócio inserido na política de incentivo à Agroindústria Familiar. As exigências dos consumidores de produtos agropecuários em relação a qualidade, segurança e rastreabilidade tem crescido ano após ano devido ao medo de problemas com saúde, como o mal da vaca louca. A modelagem do Sistema Agroindustrial (SAG) possibilita identificar necessidades de informação e automação em uma cadeia produtiva, explorar essas possibilidades de modo a permitir a especificação de sistemas de informação que suportem os negócios dos diversos agentes ao longo da cadeia produtiva satisfazendo os requisitos de qualidade e rastreabilidade dos consumidores. A aplicação de um modelo de caso de uso também é apresentada, descrevendo as atividades componentes de processos ao longo da cadeia produtiva, permitindo a identificação de requisitos e informações de rastreabilidade e qualidade. A técnica de casos de uso aplicada na cadeia produtiva ajuda na especificação de sistemas de informação de melhor qualidade e mais aderentes aos processos de negócio envolvidos. Como exemplo é a apresentada a modelagem (utilizando IDEF0, BPMN e casos de uso) de alguns processos de negócio e informação pertencentes à cadeia produtiva da malacocultura continental. A aqüicultura mundial tem se destacado pelo crescimento e sucessivo aumento de produtividade, conferindo, a este tipo de produção, posição de destaque dentro do setor pecuário internacional. Entre as várias modalidades de aqüicultura, nas duas últimas décadas, a criação de escargots (malacocultura) tem merecido atenção de empresários, órgãos de fomento governamentais e pesquisadores. Em águas continentais, a malacocultura continental especialmente a ampularicultura pode ser reconhecida como forma para produção de moluscos com baixo impacto ambiental, sob sistema de produção compatível com pequenas propriedades, o que contribui na maior oferta de alimento para as famílias rurais, aumento na disponibilidade de alimentos de alto valor nutricional e na renda familiar. / It is proposed the application of some Systems and Software Engeneering techniques to the modeling of agro-industrial systems, in an innovative way, defining a methodology in order to better understand the activities and relationships among the many agents within an specific supply chain. It also permits the productive chain graphical modeling using IDEF0, BPMN and Use Cases. The main goal is to identify information for product traceability and quality through the productive chain. There is also presented, another innovation, the application of this methodology to the Continental Malacoculture Agro-industrial System. Customers\' requirements for agro food products quality, safety and traceability have been rising year after year due to the fear of health problems, such as the mad cow disease. The Productive Chain Modeling helps identifying the information and automation needs of a production chain, exploring its possibilities in order to specify information systems that support the business of the many agents throughout the agro food chain and fulfills customers\' quality and traceability requirements. The application of Use Case Model is also presented for requirements and traceability identification and gathering throughout the productive chain. The Use Case technique applied to the productive chain helps to specify more quality and adherent information systems. As an example of those methods, some business and information processes modeling applied to the Continental Malacoculture Productive Chain are presented, using the IDEF0, BPMN and use case techniques. Worldwide aquaculture has increased in importance due to growth and successive increase in productivity, conferring this type of production an outstanding position in the international animal production sector. Amongst different modalities of aquaculture, in the last two decades, the production of escargots (malacoculture) has deserved attention from businessmen, government and researchers. In continental waters, Continental Malacoculture, especially ampullariculture can be seen as a way of producing low impact mollusks, using a system compatible with small farms production, contributing to a greater increase in the availability of high nutritional value food and also improving rural families\' income.

A la fin du XVIIIe siècle, la population de la région stéphanoise est caractérisée par sa maîtrise des processus industriels, une culture spécifique du corps, influencée par les rituels carnavalesques, le mouvement convulsionnaire janséniste, puis le magnétisme animal. L'industrie dépend alors des corps des ouvriers, des Sublimes. Les critiques des élites face à un système industriel passent des discours à une lente immixtion dans la chair des ouvriers qu'il faut enfermer, contrôler et rationaliser. La disqualification des corps ouvriers commence par un déclassement esthétique, qui débouche sur une racialisation, confortée par les théories de la dégénérescence. La rationalisation, la morale hygiéniste et l'éducation physique participent de cette prise de contrôle de la chair. Les nombreuses résistances des ouvriers face à une industrialisation rationalisée et mécanisée aliénante se caractérisent par une contre-culture ouvrière tenace, le maintien de la petite industrie qui maintient des espaces de liberté, et des violences, qui passe par l'anarchisme violent la grève, fracassée par une répression d'Etat. / At the end of the eighteenth century, the population of the Stephan region was characterized by its mastery of industrial processes, a specific culture of the body, influenced by carnival rituals, the Jansenist convulsion movement, and then animal magnetism. lndustry then depends on the bodies of the workers, the Sublimes. The criticisms of the elites in the face of an industrial system pass !rom speeches to a slow interference in the workers' flesh, which must be locked up, controlled and rationalized. The disqualification of the workers' bodies begins with an aesthetic downgrading, which leads to racialization, reinforced by theories of degeneration. Rationalization, hygienic morality and physical education are part of this takeover of the flesh. The many resistance of the workers to an alienating mechanized and rationalized industrialization are characterized by a tenacious working-class counter-culture, the maintenance of small industry which maintains areas of freedom and violence, which passes through anarchism violate the strike, Shattered by a state repression.

O trabalho apresenta como inovação, inclusive em nível internacional, a utilização de métodos e técnicas de engenharia de software e de sistemas aplicadas aos Sistemas Agroindustriais (SAG), definindo uma metodologia objetivando facilitar maior compreensão dos relacionamentos e atividades dos diversos agentes componentes de um SAG; modelar graficamente as atividades dos agentes e demais envolvidos em cada etapa de uma cadeia produtiva, através de IDEF0, BPMN e Casos de Uso; identificar informações para qualidade, rastreabilidade do produto e seus insumos ao longo da cadeia produtiva. Efetua, também com caráter inovador, a aplicação dessa metodologia na área de produtos exóticos através da modelagem de atividades pertencentes ao SAG da Malacocultura Continental (criação comercial de escargots), agronegócio inserido na política de incentivo à Agroindústria Familiar. As exigências dos consumidores de produtos agropecuários em relação a qualidade, segurança e rastreabilidade tem crescido ano após ano devido ao medo de problemas com saúde, como o mal da vaca louca. A modelagem do Sistema Agroindustrial (SAG) possibilita identificar necessidades de informação e automação em uma cadeia produtiva, explorar essas possibilidades de modo a permitir a especificação de sistemas de informação que suportem os negócios dos diversos agentes ao longo da cadeia produtiva satisfazendo os requisitos de qualidade e rastreabilidade dos consumidores. A aplicação de um modelo de caso de uso também é apresentada, descrevendo as atividades componentes de processos ao longo da cadeia produtiva, permitindo a identificação de requisitos e informações de rastreabilidade e qualidade. A técnica de casos de uso aplicada na cadeia produtiva ajuda na especificação de sistemas de informação de melhor qualidade e mais aderentes aos processos de negócio envolvidos. Como exemplo é a apresentada a modelagem (utilizando IDEF0, BPMN e casos de uso) de alguns processos de negócio e informação pertencentes à cadeia produtiva da malacocultura continental. A aqüicultura mundial tem se destacado pelo crescimento e sucessivo aumento de produtividade, conferindo, a este tipo de produção, posição de destaque dentro do setor pecuário internacional. Entre as várias modalidades de aqüicultura, nas duas últimas décadas, a criação de escargots (malacocultura) tem merecido atenção de empresários, órgãos de fomento governamentais e pesquisadores. Em águas continentais, a malacocultura continental especialmente a ampularicultura pode ser reconhecida como forma para produção de moluscos com baixo impacto ambiental, sob sistema de produção compatível com pequenas propriedades, o que contribui na maior oferta de alimento para as famílias rurais, aumento na disponibilidade de alimentos de alto valor nutricional e na renda familiar. / It is proposed the application of some Systems and Software Engeneering techniques to the modeling of agro-industrial systems, in an innovative way, defining a methodology in order to better understand the activities and relationships among the many agents within an specific supply chain. It also permits the productive chain graphical modeling using IDEF0, BPMN and Use Cases. The main goal is to identify information for product traceability and quality through the productive chain. There is also presented, another innovation, the application of this methodology to the Continental Malacoculture Agro-industrial System. Customers\' requirements for agro food products quality, safety and traceability have been rising year after year due to the fear of health problems, such as the mad cow disease. The Productive Chain Modeling helps identifying the information and automation needs of a production chain, exploring its possibilities in order to specify information systems that support the business of the many agents throughout the agro food chain and fulfills customers\' quality and traceability requirements. The application of Use Case Model is also presented for requirements and traceability identification and gathering throughout the productive chain. The Use Case technique applied to the productive chain helps to specify more quality and adherent information systems. As an example of those methods, some business and information processes modeling applied to the Continental Malacoculture Productive Chain are presented, using the IDEF0, BPMN and use case techniques. Worldwide aquaculture has increased in importance due to growth and successive increase in productivity, conferring this type of production an outstanding position in the international animal production sector. Amongst different modalities of aquaculture, in the last two decades, the production of escargots (malacoculture) has deserved attention from businessmen, government and researchers. In continental waters, Continental Malacoculture, especially ampullariculture can be seen as a way of producing low impact mollusks, using a system compatible with small farms production, contributing to a greater increase in the availability of high nutritional value food and also improving rural families\' income.

<p>In fashion, as in the rest of the economy, the globalisation of taste, power and production now plays a major role. The industry is dominated by fashion capitals like Paris, London or New York, populated by star designers like Tom Ford, Karl Lagerfeld or Jean-Paul Gaultier and controlled through MNC giants like Prada, Gucci, DKNY and Dior, who together influence consumer preferences on a global scale. However, there are numerous smaller actors that compete successfully in the fashion industry. Sweden is one such example, where fashion is a growing. </p><p>In this thesis, there is a focus on group of small and medium sized Swedish fashion firms with a brand focused business strategy. Their products are design intensive, but their main competitive advantage rests on the brand and brand management. This group of firms are proficient at ‘putting fashion into clothes’ (Weller 2004). In other words, their main competitive advantage rests neither on price, nor on the most experimental design. More exactly, they produce clothes for a fashion conscious but not too adventurous consumer group. In the thesis it is argued that they are better described as trend forerunners than as trend setters. The subject of this thesis is this group of firms within the Swedish fashion industry and the aim is to improve understanding of their innovation processes, competitiveness, and the systemic character of the business they are a part of. </p><p>As with most other fashion firms in high cost countries, Swedish companies has outsourced the garment production. They secure their competitive edge through high value added activities like design, marketing and retail. This points to the fact that fashion has both material and immaterial dimensions: it relates to clothing, design, textile and quality, but also to consumers’ subjective feelings and attitudes towards the clothes and their brands. This is a study of the interface between these dimensions, with a focal point on the production of immaterial and symbolic value. The systemic nature of fashion can hardly be overestimated. This goes for both the practical part of clothes production, but also for the production of a belief system created not only by fashion producers but by a whole set of institutional actors. This thesis has an analysis of fashion firms’ relations to business partners, competitors, media, and consumers. It is argued that the nature of these relations is critical for competition and success.</p><p>The thesis is a collection of papers, which illuminates different parts of innovation, competition and business strategies in the fashion industry. The papers cover the central activity areas for fashion firms: how branding is affecting industrial structure and innovation, how symbolic is value created, and how ‘cool’ is used as a strategic resource. </p>

In fashion, as in the rest of the economy, the globalisation of taste, power and production now plays a major role. The industry is dominated by fashion capitals like Paris, London or New York, populated by star designers like Tom Ford, Karl Lagerfeld or Jean-Paul Gaultier and controlled through MNC giants like Prada, Gucci, DKNY and Dior, who together influence consumer preferences on a global scale. However, there are numerous smaller actors that compete successfully in the fashion industry. Sweden is one such example, where fashion is a growing. In this thesis, there is a focus on group of small and medium sized Swedish fashion firms with a brand focused business strategy. Their products are design intensive, but their main competitive advantage rests on the brand and brand management. This group of firms are proficient at ‘putting fashion into clothes’ (Weller 2004). In other words, their main competitive advantage rests neither on price, nor on the most experimental design. More exactly, they produce clothes for a fashion conscious but not too adventurous consumer group. In the thesis it is argued that they are better described as trend forerunners than as trend setters. The subject of this thesis is this group of firms within the Swedish fashion industry and the aim is to improve understanding of their innovation processes, competitiveness, and the systemic character of the business they are a part of. As with most other fashion firms in high cost countries, Swedish companies has outsourced the garment production. They secure their competitive edge through high value added activities like design, marketing and retail. This points to the fact that fashion has both material and immaterial dimensions: it relates to clothing, design, textile and quality, but also to consumers’ subjective feelings and attitudes towards the clothes and their brands. This is a study of the interface between these dimensions, with a focal point on the production of immaterial and symbolic value. The systemic nature of fashion can hardly be overestimated. This goes for both the practical part of clothes production, but also for the production of a belief system created not only by fashion producers but by a whole set of institutional actors. This thesis has an analysis of fashion firms’ relations to business partners, competitors, media, and consumers. It is argued that the nature of these relations is critical for competition and success. The thesis is a collection of papers, which illuminates different parts of innovation, competition and business strategies in the fashion industry. The papers cover the central activity areas for fashion firms: how branding is affecting industrial structure and innovation, how symbolic is value created, and how ‘cool’ is used as a strategic resource.

Face to the growing awareness of environmental concerns issued from human activities, eco-design aims at offering a satisfying answer in the products and services development field. However when the considered products become complex industrial systems, there is a lack of adapted methodologies and tools. These systems are among others characterised by a large number of components and subsystems, an extremely long and uncertain life cycle, or complex interactions with their geographical and industrial environment. This change of scale actually brings different constraints, as well in the evaluation of environmental impacts generated all along the system life cycle (data management and quality, detail level according to available resources...) as in the identification of adapted answers (management of multidisciplinary aspects and available resources, players training, inclusion in an upstream R&D context...). So this dissertation aims at developing a methodology to implement ecodesign of complex industrial systems. A general methodology is first proposed, based on a DMAIC process (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control). This methodology allows defining in a structured way the framework (objectives, resources, perimeter, phasing...) and rigorously supporting the ecodesign approach applied on the system. A first step of environmental evaluation based on Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) is thus performed at a high systemic level. Given the complexity of the system life cycle as well as the exploitation variability that may exist from one site to another, a scenario-based approach is proposed to quickly consider the space of possible environmental impacts. Scenarios of exploitation are defined thanks to the SRI (Stanford Research Institute) matrix and they include numerous elements that are rarely considered in LCA, like preventive and corrective maintenance, subsystems upgrading or lifetime modulation according to the economic context. At the conclusion of this LCA the main impacting elements of the system life cycle are known and they permit to initiate the second step of the eco-design approach centred on environmental improvement. A multidisciplinary working group perform a creativity session centred on the eco-design strategy wheel (or Brezet wheel), a resource-efficient eco-innovation tool that requires only a basic environmental knowledge. Ideas generated during creativity are then analysed through three successive filters allowing: (1) to pre-select and to refine the best projects; (2) to build a R&D projects portfolio thanks to a multi-criteria approach assessing not only their environmental performance, but also their technical, economic and customers' value creation performance; (3) to control the portfolio balance according to the company strategy and the projects diversity (short/middle/long term aspect, systemic level...). All this work was applied and validated at Alstom Grid on electrical conversion substations used in the primary aluminium industry. The methodology deployment has allowed initiating a robust eco-design approach recognized by the company and finally generating a portfolio composed of 9 eco-innovative R&D projects that will be started in the coming months.

Diversos foram os motivos que historicamente conduziram os agricultores, independente de seu perfil socioeconômico, a desenvolver estratégias coletivas de defesa de seus interesses. No âmbito do sistema agroindustrial leiteiro do RS, as federações de sindicatos rurais e de trabalhadores rurais, apesar de dividirem esse papel com outras formas de organização dos agricultores com caráter mais específico, têm se mantido como interlocutoras e representantes privilegiadas dos interesses das categorias representadas em distintos fóruns públicos e privados. Nesse contexto, estabeleceu-se como objetivo geral deste trabalho identificar e analisar as ações, proposições e reivindicações desencadeadas e formuladas pela Federação dos Trabalhadores na Agricultura no Rio Grande do Sul e Federação da Agricultura do Rio Grande do Sul, a partir das mudanças no sistema agroindustrial leiteiro, no período 1995-2010. A pesquisa que fundamentou tal propósito envolveu as técnicas de pesquisa bibliográfica, pesquisa documental, pesquisa eletrônica, observação e entrevista semiestruturada. Os dados obtidos foram analisados através da técnica de análise de conteúdo. A bibliografia consultada diz respeito a cinco grandes temas que se inter-relacionam e complementam: representação sindical no rural, sistema agroindustrial leiteiro, sistema agroalimentar, políticas públicas e neocorporativismo. Evidenciou-se que as tendências de mudança do sistema agroindustrial leiteiro dizem respeito aos seus diversos elementos integrantes e múltiplas dimensões que lhe são inerentes. A natureza dos processos de mudança é igualmente diversa, abrangendo questões de ordem técnica, organizacional, social, institucional e econômica. As federações sindicais rurais elaboraram reivindicações e proposições, no período 1995-2010, que buscaram influenciar três conjuntos principais de mudanças: a) as relacionadas ao sistema de formação de preços ao produtor de leite; b) as relacionadas aos aspectos sanitários da produção; c) as políticas públicas com impactos no sistema agroindustrial leiteiro. Várias ações foram desencadeadas no intuito de viabilizar as proposições e reivindicações formuladas, direcionadas majoritariamente para as instâncias de decisão do Estado. Diversas mudanças vêm ocorrendo sem nenhum tipo de ação efetiva por parte das federações sindicais, cuja atuação tem sido marcada por convergências e divergências. / There were several reasons that historically conducted farmers, independently on their social-economic profile, to develop collective strategies for defending their interests. In the scope of the dairy agro-industrial system in RS, rural union federations and rural workers, despite of dividing this role with other forms of farmers’ organizations with a more specific feature, have remained as interlocutors and privileged representatives of interests of the categories represented in distinct public and private forums. In this context, the general goal of this research has been identifying and analyzing actions, propositions and claims triggered and formulated by the Federation of Agricultural Workers in Rio Grande do Sul and Federation of Agriculture in Rio Grande do Sul, derived from adjustments in the dairy agro-industrial system, from 1995 to 2010. In addition, the research that has based such objective involved technical bibliographic, documentary and electronic search, observation and a semi-structured interview. Data obtained were analyzed through the technique of content analysis, and the consulted bibliography regards five major themes that have been interrelated and have complemented: the rural union representation, dairy agro-industrial and agro-food system, public policies and neo-corporatism. Moreover, the changing trends in the dairy agro-industrial system were evidenced regarding their several integrant elements and multiple dimensions which are inherent to them, and the nature of adjustment processes has been equally diverse, approaching technical, organizational, social, institutional and economic issues. Furthermore, rural union federations elaborated claims and propositions, from 1995 to 2010, which aimed to influence three main groups of adjustments: a) the ones related to the pricing system towards the dairy producer; b) the ones related to the sanitary aspects of the production; c) public policies with impacts in the dairy agro-industrial system. Therefore, several actions were initiated with the means of enabling formulated propositions and claims, majorly directed to instances of State decisions, as well as several adjustments have been occurring without any type of effective action by union federations, whose action has been marked by convergences and divergences.

Diversos foram os motivos que historicamente conduziram os agricultores, independente de seu perfil socioeconômico, a desenvolver estratégias coletivas de defesa de seus interesses. No âmbito do sistema agroindustrial leiteiro do RS, as federações de sindicatos rurais e de trabalhadores rurais, apesar de dividirem esse papel com outras formas de organização dos agricultores com caráter mais específico, têm se mantido como interlocutoras e representantes privilegiadas dos interesses das categorias representadas em distintos fóruns públicos e privados. Nesse contexto, estabeleceu-se como objetivo geral deste trabalho identificar e analisar as ações, proposições e reivindicações desencadeadas e formuladas pela Federação dos Trabalhadores na Agricultura no Rio Grande do Sul e Federação da Agricultura do Rio Grande do Sul, a partir das mudanças no sistema agroindustrial leiteiro, no período 1995-2010. A pesquisa que fundamentou tal propósito envolveu as técnicas de pesquisa bibliográfica, pesquisa documental, pesquisa eletrônica, observação e entrevista semiestruturada. Os dados obtidos foram analisados através da técnica de análise de conteúdo. A bibliografia consultada diz respeito a cinco grandes temas que se inter-relacionam e complementam: representação sindical no rural, sistema agroindustrial leiteiro, sistema agroalimentar, políticas públicas e neocorporativismo. Evidenciou-se que as tendências de mudança do sistema agroindustrial leiteiro dizem respeito aos seus diversos elementos integrantes e múltiplas dimensões que lhe são inerentes. A natureza dos processos de mudança é igualmente diversa, abrangendo questões de ordem técnica, organizacional, social, institucional e econômica. As federações sindicais rurais elaboraram reivindicações e proposições, no período 1995-2010, que buscaram influenciar três conjuntos principais de mudanças: a) as relacionadas ao sistema de formação de preços ao produtor de leite; b) as relacionadas aos aspectos sanitários da produção; c) as políticas públicas com impactos no sistema agroindustrial leiteiro. Várias ações foram desencadeadas no intuito de viabilizar as proposições e reivindicações formuladas, direcionadas majoritariamente para as instâncias de decisão do Estado. Diversas mudanças vêm ocorrendo sem nenhum tipo de ação efetiva por parte das federações sindicais, cuja atuação tem sido marcada por convergências e divergências. / There were several reasons that historically conducted farmers, independently on their social-economic profile, to develop collective strategies for defending their interests. In the scope of the dairy agro-industrial system in RS, rural union federations and rural workers, despite of dividing this role with other forms of farmers’ organizations with a more specific feature, have remained as interlocutors and privileged representatives of interests of the categories represented in distinct public and private forums. In this context, the general goal of this research has been identifying and analyzing actions, propositions and claims triggered and formulated by the Federation of Agricultural Workers in Rio Grande do Sul and Federation of Agriculture in Rio Grande do Sul, derived from adjustments in the dairy agro-industrial system, from 1995 to 2010. In addition, the research that has based such objective involved technical bibliographic, documentary and electronic search, observation and a semi-structured interview. Data obtained were analyzed through the technique of content analysis, and the consulted bibliography regards five major themes that have been interrelated and have complemented: the rural union representation, dairy agro-industrial and agro-food system, public policies and neo-corporatism. Moreover, the changing trends in the dairy agro-industrial system were evidenced regarding their several integrant elements and multiple dimensions which are inherent to them, and the nature of adjustment processes has been equally diverse, approaching technical, organizational, social, institutional and economic issues. Furthermore, rural union federations elaborated claims and propositions, from 1995 to 2010, which aimed to influence three main groups of adjustments: a) the ones related to the pricing system towards the dairy producer; b) the ones related to the sanitary aspects of the production; c) public policies with impacts in the dairy agro-industrial system. Therefore, several actions were initiated with the means of enabling formulated propositions and claims, majorly directed to instances of State decisions, as well as several adjustments have been occurring without any type of effective action by union federations, whose action has been marked by convergences and divergences.