The influence of sustainability on the export performance in the beef international market

The purpose of this study is evaluate the relationship between sustainability and the export performance of beef exporters. It is used panel data analysis from the collection of secondary data of exports of in natura fresh or chilled beef with regard to Italy, Netherlands, French, Mexico, Japan, German and UK between the years 2002 and 2012, resulting in a database with 959 observations. The sustainability of exporters was evaluated through its social performance, using as proxy the Human Development Index (HDI), and environmental performance, evaluated from the Net Adjusted Savings (ANS). The results obtained by econometric analysis show that the social dimension of sustainability has a positive influence on the export performance of beef exporters, while the environmental dimension of sustainability is associated with capacity of these companies access and maintenance in the international beef market.