This is a contribution of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil, through its Secretariat of Innovation, Sustainable Development, Irrigation, and Cooperativism.
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As part of its governments and other stakeholders recommendation, the voluntary guidance tool should take into consideration the different types of small-scale farming mainly depending on their business model (e.g., peasant, business, family) and the encouragement of technical and managerial training on the property.
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The main public policy strategies for small-scale livestock farming are the adoption of simple technologies for improving pasture, supplementing animal feed and observing sanitary parameters. Technology transfer with technical assistance is the best strategy for this stage.
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Small-scale farming demands coordination strategies and cooperative work to prosper, in addition to establishing relationships with the processing industry. Models that guide government and other stakeholders in the search for cooperation and incremental gain strategies will be crucial to the success of the process.
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Division of responsibilities between the links in the production chains (producer/industry) is essential. Among the most relevant points are the animal health issues linked to the product and the sustainability aspects of production, involving social, environmental and economic dimensions. Tax incentives for the industries that encourage the improvement of the indicators of its integrated farmers are also important.
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It is essential to recommend targets and specific goals for each small-scale livestock segment to monitor policy advances, in addition to defining indicators to be pursued in line with international parameters.
Dr. Alexandre Amaral