Institutional change and the impact on technological patterns: the case of the mechanization of the sugarcane harvest in Paraná state

Abstract

Due to changes in the institutional environment, mainly the Law 11.241/2002 (SP), which limits the burning of sugarcane and favors the mechanization of its harvest, there is a new technological pattern in the Brazilian production of sugar and alcohol. The objective of this article is to analyze the reasons behind the adoption of the mechanized harvest in the sugar and alcohol sector of Paraná state through field research (interviews and questionnaires applied during the second semester of 2007). The results show that the mechanization of the sugar cane harvest in Paraná was due to market pressures, allied to other factors: scarce labor in the state, environmental and market pressures, change of the technological standards and costs imputed by São Paulo state, the leader in the sector.