O desafio da participação na dinâmica dos empreendimentos cooperativos na Bahia: o caso das associações envolvidas no Programa Nacional de Produção de Biocombustível

Abstract

The present work discusses the challenge of participation in the dynamics of cooperative ventures in Bahia (Brazil): the case of associations involved in National Program for Biofuel Production - PNPB, developed with the aim of broadening the pool of knowledge on participation in collective action and help strengthen associativism, within the family farm. The research is related to the Semi-Arid Region of Bahia State. The sample was composed of 19 farmers associations and their respective associates, participants of PNPB. The data were collected by questionnaires between June and July, 2011. The theoretical scope of the research focused on collective action and participation, covering two dimensions: the enterprise and the person. The collective action was examined based on the ideas of Olson (1999), Douglas (2007) and others. The participation was studied taking as reference: Bordanave (1994), Rech (2000), Santos (2002) and others. The results allowed classify the associations and indicated that: the lack of published information, the absence of members at meetings and in the elections contribute to weaken collective action; most enterprises do not develop associative practices. The data also showed that members joined the association in pursuit of personal benefits, especially economic; in the most enterprises there are members with behavior typified as hitchhiking, who just want to take advantage and it is a consensus among the leaders that those members produce adverse effects in a ride, which brings the need for selective incentives and punitive measures; and that there is involvement and dependency between the associated and the institution, but it´s still limited.