Strategies to improve the competitiveness of an agroindustrial system for a macauba based oil production in Minas Gerais State, Brazil

The Macauba palm has been studied because of increasing global interest in multipurpose resilient plants, with no food or energy competition. The crop encompasses an opportunity to social inclusion, profitable activity and environmental care in Brazil. However, for its production to be competitive, it demands a deeper analysis of how the Agroindustrial System (AIS) is currently organized and what is needed to go forward. The objectives of the present study were to characterize and evaluate the competitiveness of macauba AIS at the main Brazilian production region, the north of Minas Gerais State. Stakeholders engaged in fruit picking and processing segments were identified and characterized. In addition, strategic actions to strengthen this AIS were proposed. The framework used to evaluate the competitiveness of the AIS includes data gathering from field interviews, direct observations and analysis of the macauba AIS. Some challenges were picked from the direct observations such as the reliance of production on unfavourable environmental conditions, the deficiencies in technical assistance and the difficulty of farmers to access credit and public policies. Despite those hurdles, the examined AIS showed potential to expand and become competitive, promoting better conditions for the permanence of family farmers/ communities in the countryside. It is important to consider that macauba exploitation is getting to a point of transition from extractive activity to a systematized planting of the palm. Some strategies to boost this growth are better coordination among the agents acting in the AIS, establishment of more active R&D and technical assistance partnerships, capacity building/ training offerings, and provision of resources for investments intended for the sustainable development of the macauba AIS and market access. •Macauba is a palm native to tropical regions of the Americas.•The agroindustrial system for macauba has different structures of development.•This study analyses macauba production in the federal state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.•The macauba production can promote social inclusion in remote areas.•This paper suggests actions to elevate the competitiveness of the macauba agroindustrial system.