Evolução das Relações Contratuais na Perspectiva dos Citricultores: um estudo de múltiplos casos de contratos entre 1978/79 a 2011/2012

The paper analyzes and describes, from citrus growers perspective and new institutional economics (NEI) framework, an exploratory series of thirty-nine (39) formal contracts established between ten orange producers and a set of five orange processing companies, from 1978/79 to 2011/12 crops. The main objective is to analyze contractual relationship evolution in São Paulo citrus complex, especially from citrus grower’s views. The research uses an intertemporal, exploratory, historically and documentary multiple cases study methodology of contractual relationships, subdividing them into three different contractual models. A questionnaire was applied to six orange growers to verify the presence or not of the relational principles in the different contractual models. The analysis result of contractual models evolution, from citrus growers’ perspective, indicates that there has been a gradual bilateral relations deterioration, as relational principles in the institutional arrangements were not used, accentuating citrus crisis and bilateral conflicts.