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Agribusiness can be understood as the production and distribution operations for agricultural supplies. This industry is of great importance for Brazilian socio-economic development since it is one of the pillars of GDP, representing about 25% of GDP and 50% of exports. According to the UN, the world population remains in the process of growth, just as it occurs in Brazil. The increase in the world population directly reflects food consumption and the search for a better quality of life. This scenario demands an evaluation of our current economic model.

The research question is: How can sustainable entrepreneurship in the local agrarian environment contribute to fostering sustainable practices? It is fair to state that sustainable entrepreneurship can transform the lives of families and the production landscape in which they operate. In this context, the study aims to identify and analyze sustainable practices in an agribusiness cooperative, correlating them to sustainable development goals (SDG) in the 2030 Agenda.

The sustainability issue in this century assumes a central role in the reflection on the dimensions of development and the alternatives presented. The use of environmental practices by organizations is a global trend, as they increasingly realize the strategic importance of the theme (Veiga, 2010). Sustainable entrepreneurship is an integrated vision that has been emerging in the last decade in academic literature and is a combination of economic, social, and environmental value creation (Cohen & Winn, 2007, Dean & Mcmullen, 2007, Schaltegger & Wagner, 2008, Binder & Belz, 2015).

This study was carried out in an agro-industrial cooperative in the north of Rio Grande do Sul – RS (a state in the south of Brazil that is very well known for its significant participation in the national agribusiness production). The cooperative will have its name preserved and named in this study as Cooperative X. Primary data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews in July of 2020 with the Environmental Coordinator of the Cooperative. Secondary data with observation, analysis of documents by consulting the cooperative’s website, documents, and internal controls.

As an environmental policy, the Cooperative aims to minimize environmental impacts in the development of products and services and promote environmental education actions. The activities are organized on an environmental agenda and are based on four objectives: 1 - Legal compliance (compliance with current environmental legislation); 2 - Eco-efficiency and clean technologies; 3 - Environmental Awareness; and 4 - Continuous Improvement. It was possible to identify a series of good environmental practices of Cooperative X. Two main groups were identified.

Through cooperation and aggregate processes, the management of social issues increases the bond between organizations and society, even if conflicts among stakeholders may occur. The transformative effect of the agricultural revolution of the last 40 years is a crucial fact in Brazil’s recent economic history. It continues to open perspectives for the future. The results showed that the cooperative maintains permanent actions to develop the communities in which it operates, with an influential role in environmental education and eco-efficiency related to the SDG.

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