Emergy analysis of sustainability of milk production

• Grant number: 14/16491-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2014
• End date: October 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Economics - Agrarian and Natural Resource Economics
• Principal Investigator: Elaine Mendonça Bernardes
• Grantee: Elaine Mendonça Bernardes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Tecnológicas. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Dracena. Dracena , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Danilo Domingues Millen ; Luís Alberto Ambrósio

Abstract

Despite advances in development economic analyses, questions posed by ecologists and by ecological economics have not been properly incorporated in economic analysis. Ecological analysis instruments for sustainability of milk production will be used in the present study, focusing on five capital stocks, for different farms, in the region of Dracena, São Paulo State. Initially, a worksheet will be organized with the technical coefficients of production systems for calculations of emergy indexes as proposed by Odum (1996). The worksheets will be filled, through application of questionnaires to rural producers in such region. Other physical data needed for the calculation of emergy indexes will be obtained from the literature and from CIAGRO. The conceptual model will be developed, as indicated by Odum, for the representative (s) system (s) of the region of Dracena (defined by the EDR). Since the capital stock and emergetic analyses was used together before just for an specific farm, the present research will be a relevant contribution because it will generate the conceptual model for a region. It will also obtain emergy indexes that could be compared with the results available in the international literature. Beyond the scientific community, professionals of the rural extension services and producers will receive the results through folders, electronic media and meetings with farmers. (AU)