International Projects - Brazil

Brazil

There is a growing market in Brazil for high welfare livestock products, along with an increasing recognition by Brazilian farmers that improving animal welfare leads to enhanced well-being of the animals, lower levels of disease and mortalities and consequently, reduced veterinary costs. However, it is relatively difficult for farmers to obtain training and education in humane husbandry practices and to therefore gain access to the expanding market for high welfare livestock products.

The Model Farm Project in Brazil will be a Centre of Excellence where farmers are able to learn humane handling and husbandry practices and where industry, government, farmers and the public can visit a humane and sustainable commercial farm. It is this practical reality of a commercial viable, environmentally and ethically sustainable farm in operation that is our most powerful tool for convincing governments that intensive livestock production systems are NOT the only way to produce food for growing populations.

In August 2008 the Model Farm Project began leasing a 141 ha site in Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo State. A sugar cane factory was previously operating on the site and there are numerous office buildings, houses and a recently renovated training centre, as well as sugar cane, grazing pasture and a species rich wetland area. The Model Farm Project has employed a local farm manager and farm staff to run the farm.

The farm has:

• a breeding herd of 100 Nelore with which we are working in partnership with ANCP (www.ancp.org.br) to develop high genetics, polled animals

• a 500 head paddock finishing system for Nelore and Nelore/Angus cross beef cattle developed in collaboration with the ETCO group at Sao Paulo University (www.grupoetco.org.br)

• 4,000 free range broiler system in partnership with Korin® (www.korin.com.br)

• a small flock of Santa Inês breeding ewes

• training and accommodation facilities for theoretical and practical courses on:

- Cattle handling, in collaboration with ETCO (www.grupoetco.org.br)

- Broiler production

Photo source: Mateus Paranhos da Costa

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