Ostrich farming and environmental management tools: an overview
G. S. Rodrigues A D , C. C. de A. Buschinelli B and L. R. Muniz CA Embrapa Labex Europe/Unité Propre de Recherche 34, Performance des Systèmes de culture de plantes pérennes, CIRAD-PerSyst, Avenue Agropolis, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
B Embrapa Environment, CxP 069, Jaguariúna, SP, CEP 13820000, Brazil.
C FECOAVESTRUZ-Sudeste/ACAB, Praça Doutor João Mendes 52, Conjunto 502, Sao Paolo, CEP 01501-000, Brazil.
D Corresponding author. Email: stacheti@cnpma.embrapa.br
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48(10) 1308-1313 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA08143
Submitted: 13 April 2008 Accepted: 3 July 2008 Published: 11 September 2008
Abstract
There is an increasing demand in the ostrich farming sector for management tools that are capable of motivating, preparing and guiding producers to meet the requirements of ‘environmentally conscious’ consumers. Many methodological options are currently available to conduct sustainability assessments and to ensure the best environmental management of rural activities. One option, the ‘System for weighed environmental impact assessment of rural activities’ (APOIA-NovoRural), has recently been validated for ostrich farming, as a tool for checking the contributions of the activity to local sustainable development. Case studies have favoured the understanding of the main environmental impacts and provided valuable recommendations regarding natural resources management and landscape ecology improvements in ostrich farming systems. Most importantly, the criteria and indicators constructed in this environmental management tool may be used for defining general ‘Terms of Reference’ for sustainable ostrich farming.
Additional keywords: struthioculture.
Acknowledgements
The sponsorship and institutional support offered by Embrapa Environment, FECOAVESTRUZ-Sudeste and the ‘Associação de Criadores de Avestruzes do Brasil’ (ACAB) were instrumental for this study. Special gratitude is due to the farmers and administrators Mr. Adair Ribeiro Jr. (Vereda dos Avestruzes, Corumbataí), Mr. Célio Santos (Cooperavestruz, Mogi das Cruzes), Mr. Flávio Henrique de Jesus (GFStruthio, Atibaia), Mr. Marco Antônio Ortega (Sítio Casa Nova, Mairinque), Mr. Marcos Neves (Criavestruz, Pereiras), Mr. Nelson Yutaka Ito (Fazenda Bagres, Mairinque), Mr. Rafael Lucien Tadeu Pereira (Retiro do Avestruz, Itatiba), Mr. Rogério Pascoal Filho and Mrs. Ananda Pascarelli (Terra Brasil Avestruz, Araçatuba), who graciously offered their time and experience.
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1 The APOIA-NovoRural System spreadsheets can be made available by a request to the authors.
