Ecosystem services and production systems of family cattle farms: an analysis of animal production in Pampa Biome

Abstract

This paper aims at discussing the beef cattle production system, related to ecosystem services, to emphasize the case of Associacao de Produtores do Rincao do Vinte e Oito (Association of Rincao do Vinte e Oito Producers). The main objective is to analyze the offer of ecosystem services in the Ibirapuita Environmental Protection Area (EPA), regarding the beef cattle production and sheep farming in the natural grassland. A case study with nine producers of the Association, considered as an analysis unit, was conducted in 2017 through semi-structured interviews. According to the producers, the preservation of animal production was valid, as they believed that it can provide welfare for their families and the remaining population. The respondents mentioned that, in the past, the tradition of producing beef cattle and sheep was very strong in the region, but nowadays, besides the tradition, they produce for profit, to be able to remain in rural areas. Beef cattle through the ecosystem supply service providers food for the population through meat production and sheep farming through meat and wool. Although the main theme of the research is directly related to the provisioning services, mainly focusing on beef cattle in the natural grassland, the cultural ecosystem services were widely cited during the research. The interviewers strongly highlighted the preservation of the traditional activities, conducted since the early days of occupation of the territory of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as the issues related to the preservation of the environment in which they live, the solidarity between the producers, and the natural grassland maintenance. Moreover, the observed landscapes indicated that the maintenance of rural agroecosystems in the region was preserved, thus putting even more emphasis on the range of ecosystem regulatory services.