Sustentabilidade nas fazendas produtoras de leite no Brasil: uma análise da relação entre indicadores econômicos e ambientais

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze Brazilian dairy farms based on economic and sustainable indicators of the activity. A total of 307 farms from four Brazilian states—Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Paraná—were considered, using a dataset with 21 variables for the years 2020 and 2021. The farm analysis was conducted using two multivariate methods: factor analysis and cluster analysis. Factor analysis results indicated the adequacy of five factors for the study, summarizing relationships regarding Herd and production, Carbon emissions and their determinants, Total carbon footprint, Milk solids, and Other emission sources. Cluster analysis identified four distinct groups. One group was associated with a profile characterized by higher production levels and revenue, along with greater herd productivity and lower carbon footprint and enteric methane emissions. Conversely, another group of farms exhibited high carbon footprint and methane emissions, lower production and revenue levels, and the lowest productivity values. These findings align with the central hypothesis of this study and existing literature. Additionally, the carbon footprint of farms was analyzed based on their archetypes: pasture-based, semi-confined, organic, compost barn, and free-stall systems. Farms employing compost barns and free-stall systems showed the lowest carbon footprint compared to other production systems.