Purpose: This study aimed to identify the determinants of farmers' participation in agricultural information-sharing digital groups and their impacts on farm performance.Design/methodology/approach: Primary data of the 2015/2016 crop year collected from 175 cattle farmers were analyzed using descriptive statistics and econometric models. Farmers who had smartphones and participated in social groups/applications, especially those created to exchange agricultural information, were considered adopters of the technology.Findings: A Poisson hurdle model showed that farmers' decision to participate in agricultural information-sharing digital groups is determined by schooling, age (negative effect) and use of tools for planning production. The intensity of participation is affected by risk propensity, interaction with specialist advisors, use of tools for planning production and participation in cooperatives. The authors also found empirical evidence that farmers' participation in agricultural information-sharing digital groups positively affects farm income per hectare.Research limitations/implications: The results of this study are important for accelerating the diffusion of low-cost digital technologies, which are powerful tools for improving farmers' sharing and access to valuable information in real time and in locations far from urban areas.Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical analysis of the adoption and impacts of agricultural information-sharing digital groups/applications by Brazilian cattle farmers. The diffusion of simple digital technologies is important for reducing heterogeneity and increasing the efficiency of cattle production.

This paper aimed to identify the determinants of beef traceability adoption at farm level in São Paulo State, Brazil. A sample survey of 32 farmers who adopted the European Union certified traceability and 52 other farmers who did not adopt traceability provided data to test hypotheses on determinant factors. Three binomial logit models were used in the analysis. Results suggested that capital-intensive livestock production system, high scale production, access to specialized information and high level of human and social capital play significant role in the adoption decision.

Crop monoculture and single conventional cattle raising were designed for a rapid increase in productivity and food supply. However, some of these production systems have shown signs of saturation and negative environmental impacts. Crop-livestock integration systems have been developed as an alternative that delivers increased productivity and greater environmental sustainability. This article presents an evaluation of the economic viability and the financial risk associated with an investment in crop-livestock integration with a focus on the production of beef cattle in São Carlos, SP, Brazil. Results showed that the investment is economically viable and has an Internal Rate of Return higher than that of a conventional system. Monte Carlo simulations showed that the integrated system presents lower market risks when compared to the conventional system.

Este trabalho tem o objetivo principal de identificar os determinantes da demanda e do acesso ao crédito rural por bovinocultores de corte no estado de São Paulo. Para atingir tal objetivo, foram coletados dados primários por meio de entrevistas presenciais junto a uma amostra de 86 pecuaristas. Os dados foram analisados por meio de um modelo logit. Constatou-se que todos os pecuaristas que demandaram crédito rural obtiveram acesso a pelo menos um contrato. Os resultados mostraram que pecuaristas que têm maior número de propriedades rurais, maior intensidade em tecnologia na produção, fontes de renda oriunda de atividades não rurais, são mais novos, adotam gestão de risco de preço e participam de organizações associativas relacionadas à produção rural possuem maior probabilidade de demandar e acessar o crédito rural. Por fim, foram apresentadas algumas sugestões para a política de crédito rural para a pecuária de corte no estado de São Paulo.

Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS) have been adopted by farmers for planning, monitoring, and controlling agricultural operations. These systems are at the core of the digital farming revolution and can improve the technical, economic, and environmental efficiency of farming. This study evaluates the factors that influence the decision to adopt FMIS by sugarcane farmers in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. A survey of 131 sugarcane farmers provided cross-sectional farm-level data for the 2018/19 crop year, which were analyzed by a logit regression model. The decision to adopt FMIS is positively affected by farmers’ level of education, private advisor, access to rural credit, off-farm income, farm size, and use of forward contracts. FMIS adoption is associated with risk-averse farmers as part of a risk management strategy. The results can help farmers in their decisions to adopt and both policymakers and FMIS suppliers in their strategies to foster FMIS diffusion. FMIS diffusion can increase sugarcane production efficiency resulting in positive shocks to sugar and ethanol production, which are key components of Brazil's rural development and energy strategies.