Sustainability in the Brazilian pampa biome: A composite index to integrate beef production, social equity, and ecosystem conservation

Abstract

The natural grasslands of the Pampa biome (PB) are maintained by moderate grazing of large ruminants that traditionally occupy the area, offering a place where food production and natural habitat conservation may coexist. The conversion of natural grasslands (NG) into other land covers, and the consequent modifications of natural landscapes, highlights the need for better management strategies to maintain grasslands in good natural conditions. However, there are many factors that influence sustainability, and to understand the reality of each location and its needs to achieve a sustainable status are a challenge for public managers and for entrepreneurs. Therefore, it is important to evaluate where sustainable beef production is more indicated and which criteria demands more attention for a better sustainable scenario. Hence, this study proposed a composite index to evaluate areas of tension based on the concepts of sustainability and efficient beef cattle farming for NG in the Brazilian PB. The Sustainable Tension Index (STI) is a composite index of descriptor variables that represent the economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The selection of this variables was based on a literature review and governmental documents. For each variable a weight was calculated by a principal components analysis. Each standardized variable was multiplied by the value of its weight, and the results were summed for each municipality to obtain the STI. The STI was classified into intervals by dividing the amplitude of the values by five from very low to very high tensions. Municipalities with low tensions across the three dimensions were considered closer to sustainable development. To evaluate the differences among mesoregions, a PERMANOVA was applied in R software. The STI was able to describe the localities regarding sustainable beef production variables and identified the critical factors in each municipality. Most of Pampa's municipalities presented intermediaries STI, but only three presented low tension in all the dimension, emphasizing the complexity of this issue. The southwest and southeast mesoregions were more apt to sustainable beef production, and the metropolitan mesoregion was the least indicated for this activity. Variables associated to education, income and land use had higher weight for the index. The proposed STI is a tool for both farm managers and political representants to support important decisions and its application presented an optimistic reality regarding the Brazilian PB, which if well managed and supported, has a great potential for sustainable beef cattle farming.