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The future of small ruminants in Brazil: Lessons from the recent period and scenarios for the next decade

2022; Elsevier BV; Volume: 209; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.smallrumres.2022.106651

1879-0941

V. P. Guimarães, Cícero Cartaxo de Lucena, O. Facó, Marco Aurélio Delmondes Bomfim, F. F. Laranjeira, Jean-Paul Dubeuf,

Organic Food and Agriculture

Brazilian goat and sheep farming has increased their activities in the past years, with an increase of the number of flocks, of farms with sheep and goats, of animals and volume of dairy products sold. We observed an improvement of the professionalization of the activity, with added - value products and the creation of cooperatives and other collective initiatives; farmers improved their hygienic and sanitary conditions and often obtained certification. They created certification and created commercial establishments, from meat boutiques, presence in gondolas of large supermarket chains, to restaurants specialized in the sale of products of caprine origin and sheep. The history of the introduction of small ruminants in the country significantly influenced the organization and market positioning that we see today. The consumption of beef and dairy products has long been preponderant in the country what logically favored cattle breeding. Consequently, for a long time, small ruminants were exclusively dedicated to informal or self-consumption regional markets in the Northeast and South of Brazil. Driven by the demand for fulfill demands of meat and milk of public policies and private markets, the situation has changed recently. Reports from several authors showing that the social construction of markets can be a path to make this market feasible, showing that, in this dynamic, the role of the consumer is essential for goat and sheep sector. Other studies have shown that producers' networks lead by local actors, with support from rural extension organizations, have as an outcome the restored confidence in the small ruminant market. Cooperatives that already worked in other agribusiness segments and that have included the sheep industry just as another activity in the portfolio seem to achieve better results in this sector, increasing the revenue of farmers. The objective of this paper is firstly to present an overview of the innovation small ruminant ecosystem in Brazil, based on diverse present and past statistical data, and secondly to identify possible scenarios for the future of this sector, built collectively during a prospective workshop.