Ecoinovação nos pequenos negócios: um estudo do segmento Agroecológico a partir do Serviço Brasileiro de Respostas Técnicas

Abstract

The research analyzes the main mechanisms for acquiring information, aiming at the adoption or development of eco-innovations in small-scale agriculture, particularly those related to agroecological production, using the Brazilian Technical Answers Service (SBRT) as a research instrument. The study is divided into three stages. The first comprises the bibliographical survey on the theme of eco-innovation in the national and international scope. The second refers to the quantitative investigation, based on the survey carried out in the SBRT database, such as the number of technical responses and technical dossiers, corresponding to the collection of the agriculture segment, indexed with the keywords "sustainability", "development sustainable” and “environment”. Besides, it proposes a categorization of the content contained in these documents. The third stage is a field research, from the perspective of the information and eco-innovation regime, carried out in the three environments that make up the SBRT, namely: small businesses that accessed the technical documents retrieved in the survey research; institutions supporting the informational project; and institutions that are part of the SBRT Network, identified as providers of technological information. The systemic analysis of the data collected in the three stages of the research reveals a high contribution of the SBRT on the theme of innovation and quality in small businesses, however, a low contribution to the theme of eco-innovation in the business profile studied. The study contributes to a better understanding of the profile of small Brazilian agro-ecological businesses and to support future and integrated strategies of relevant actors in this system. It regards information and eco-innovation policies, in favor of the engagement of this business segment in the commitments assumed in the post-2015 agenda.