Low-carbon agricultural technologies improve forage and feed production in the Caatinga biome, Brazil: Characteristics, comparison, effects of climate change, resilience, local development, and food security

Nanina Zini Antunes de Mattos; Bruna Gerreiro Tavares; Renata da Costa Barreto; Giselle Parno Guimarães; Marcos Aurélio Vasconcelos de Freitas

doi:10.17268/sci.agropecu.2024.046

Authors

Nanina Zini Antunes de Mattos Programa de Planejamento Energético (PPE), Instituto Alberto Luiz Coimbra de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Engenharia (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4476-2237
Bruna Gerreiro Tavares Projeto Rural Sustentável Caatinga (PRS Caatinga), Fundação Brasileira para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (FBDS), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4871-5251
Renata da Costa Barreto Projeto Rural Sustentável Caatinga (PRS Caatinga), Fundação Brasileira para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (FBDS), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3238-1720
Giselle Parno Guimarães Projeto Rural Sustentável Caatinga (PRS Caatinga), Fundação Brasileira para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (FBDS), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2400-2655
Marcos Aurélio Vasconcelos de Freitas Instituto Virtual Internacional de Mudanças Globais (IVIG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9242-1288

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17268/sci.agropecu.2024.046

Keywords:

GHG Emission, Semiarid, ICLS, Ruminants, SWOT, AHP, Production Factors

Abstract

Adjustments in Brazilian livestock are necessary to minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, since the largest source of methane comes from ruminants’ enteric fermentation, and of carbon from deforestation. Low-carbon agriculture technologies (LCAT) contribute to mitigating these emissions and this study evaluates the role of these technologies on ruminant forage production in Caatinga. A Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threats analysis was used to elucidate the main features, followed by an Analytic Hierarchical Process, ranking the LCAT, and a risk analysis. Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forest System (ICLFS) is the most recommended technology, followed by Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and Recovery of Degraded Areas with Pastures (RDA-P). The results can aid in the choice of the LCAT to be implemented by the smallholder in Caatinga, demonstrating the need to strengthen rural technical assistance, so that there is a real benefit to the producer and the environment.

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