Tropentag 2023, September 20 - 22, Berlin, Germany "Competing pathways for equitable food systems transformation: trade-offs and synergies."

Sustainability and added value in agribusiness production chains: The poultry case

¹Federal University of Goiás, Law College, Brazil
²Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), Brazil
³Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil
⁴Ministry of Regional Development, Brazil

Abstract

This paper aims to analyse the environmental management of sustainable food systems and how this activity has been modifying land use in the poultry production chain. It represents a case study of the poultry value chain in the Brazilian state of Goiás. The studied chain is represented by 13 business organisations, 230 farms, and 816 broiler houses. The exploratory and qualitative investigation involved data collection from primary and secondary sources and applying a questionnaire at all considered chain levels. Forest management practices, waste generation, water resources, energy and emissions, and environmental management accounting were analysed at the chain levels. The study considered those practices from the integrating company and its business units and integrated poultry farms. The main results demonstrate that it is necessary to think about water resources and land use to expand and develop sustainable agrifood systems. Regarding the poultry value chain, there is a direct relationship between freshwater availability and poultry production. In this regard, environmental management is a powerful ally to consider in strategies and practices aimed at mitigating the impacts of the activity and the climate adaptation process of production systems. Among the driving factors for adopting environmental accounting systems are the growing demand from consumers for providers of goods whose impacts generated in the supply chain, production, storage, transportation and commercialisation are duly quantified and disclosed. It is concluded that this research contributes to the development of environmental management practices aligned with the Brazilian agricultural business strategy and the management of natural resources, such as water and land use. Thus, future research can address the influence of these water and land resources on sustainability and competitiveness in the productive chain of poultry production, as well as in diverse chains aimed at agribusiness, agrifood chains and different manufacturing activities.

Keywords: Agribusiness, environmental management accounting, sustainable development

Contact Address: Alcido Elenor Wander, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), Rodovia GO-462, km 12, 75375-000 Santo Antonio de Goias, Brazil, e-mail: alcido.wanderembrapa.br