Clandio Favarini Ruviaro

Carbon footprint of milk production in Brazil: a comparative case study

PurposeLivestock production is a recognized source of environmental impact, and this sector indirectly involves approximately 5 million people in Brazil. Livestock production includes nearly 1.5 million milk producers that use several different production systems. We chose the southern region of Brazil to evaluate the carbon footprint (CF) per 1xa0kg of energy-corrected milk (ECM) at the farm gate for different dairy production systems with the use of a good level of technology.MethodsThe dairy production systems were confined feedlot system, semi-confined feedlot system (including some grazing), and pasture-based grazing system. A sensitivity analysis of the dry matter intake (DMI) in each farming system and an uncertainty analysis based on a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation were performed to complement the discussion. The standards ISO 14040: 2006 and ISO 14044: 2006 were used for the comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) focused on the CF. The LCA software tool SimaPro 7.3.3 was used. Sensitivity analyses were conducted on input data for total digestible nutrients (TDN) and crude protein (CP) based on values from the literature.Results and discussionThe comparative LCA showed that the confined feedlot system had a lower CF than the other systems studied. Total greenhouse gas emissions were 0.535xa0kgxa0CO2exa0kgxa0ECM−1 for the confined feedlot system, 0.778xa0kgxa0CO2exa0kgxa0ECM−1 for the semi-confined feedlot system, and 0.738xa0kgxa0CO2exa0kgxa0ECM−1 for the pasture-based system without considering the impact from direct land use change (dLUC). When considering these emissions, the CFs for grain and cottonseed production showed CF increases of 45.0, 36.9, and 37.3xa0% for the confined feedlot, semi-confined feedlot, and pasture-based systems, respectively. The results from the MC simulations showed low uncertainty through variations in TDN and CP. The coefficient of variation was 1.1xa0% for the confined feedlot, 0.7xa0% for the semi-confined feedlot, and 1.0xa0% for the pasture systems.ConclusionsThe uncertainties were due mainly to variations in N2O emissions from manure for the three systems. The CF in Brazilian systems was lower than almost all the results found in the literature, even when impacts from the dLUC were considered. The lowest CF in this case study was due mainly to the emission factor used for enteric fermentation.

How do citizens perceive farm animal welfare conditions in Brazil

The aim of this study is to understand the perceptions of Brazilian citizens about the actual conditions of farm animal welfare in the poultry, beef, and dairy supply chains. To reach this aim, an online survey was conducted. The analysis was based on descriptive statistics and three logistic regressions models. Results of descriptive statistics showed that citizens in Brazil had mostly negative perceptions about the actual conditions of animal welfare in the poultry, beef, and dairy supply chains. Results of the logistic regression models showed that in the poultry and dairy supply chains, citizens with background in agricultural/veterinary sciences, and citizens who reported a higher level of knowledge about these supply chains, were more likely to perceive as bad the actual conditions of farm animal welfare. In the poultry supply chain, citizens who reported previous contact with poultry farms were also more likely to perceive as bad the actual condition of farm animal welfare. In addition, the perception that farmers are mainly focused on the economic aspect of farming and less on animal welfare, the perception that animals do not have a good quality of life while housed on farms, and the perception that animals are not adequately transported and slaughtered, negatively impact on perceptions about the actual conditions of farm animal welfare in the three supply chains. We concluded that a protocol aimed to improve citizens’ perceptions about the actual conditions of farm animal welfare should focus in all phases of the supply chains.

A PERCEPTION ON MILK PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT IN GOLDEN GLORY OF CITY

This article aims to analyze the impact of management, cooperation and public policies applied to the dairy sector in the glory of Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul Milk production has the function of generating income to farmers and to feed the local economic system, which also includes the fix small producers in the field. So put it, for the study and the construction of the article was prepared a questionnaire intended to collect data that would enable discussion and analysis of results. As the theoretical basis, it discusses the importance of the dairy supply chain for the performance of South Mato Grosso state agribusiness, the need for public policies for the qualification and production management, and the need for qualification of the workforce of small producers. Furthermore, the text addresses the cooperatives contribution to the competitive maintenance of small producers in the face of market competition requirements.