Final Report Summary - GRAZSAFE (Development of dairy and dual-purpose grazing systems in Latin-America through safer and higher quality food chains)
The GRAZSAFE project overall aim was to enhance rural livelihoods of smallholder agro-silvo-pastoral systems in Latin America by improving the sustainability of dairy and dual-purpose systems, creating a more robust and safer food chain and, therefore, reducing their detrimental effects on public health and the environment.
Equitable economic growth, poverty reduction, agro-biodiversity preservation, fare trade and sustainable development based on appropriate and environmentally friendly technologies are priorities for Latin American agriculture. Smallholder agro-silvo-pastoral systems are the main form of agricultural production. However, marginal productivity, environmental degradation, low income brought about by limited investment, poor access to markets due to long distances from production to consumers, lack of infrastructures or suitable market chains, deficiencies in hygienic quality, poor sanitary conditions, together with open market policies and globalisation have increased pressure on dairy and dual purpose grazing systems contributing to reduced sustainability while compromising the lives of millions of rural dwellers.
This Specific Support Action (SSA) achieved to:
i) strengthened collaborative research links between European and Latin American stakeholders, technicians and mainly scientists;
ii) enhanced the knowledge base, including adoption of new techniques and research tools; and
iii) improved mechanisms of communication and dissemination of knowledge among Latin American scientists and stakeholders.
The SSA paid special effort to integrate the perspectives of different stakeholders (scientists, consultants, farmers associations' representatives and Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)' representatives) in order to obtain relevant information for suitable policy making and decision support.
Equitable economic growth, poverty reduction, agro-biodiversity preservation, fare trade and sustainable development based on appropriate and environmentally friendly technologies are priorities for Latin American agriculture. Smallholder agro-silvo-pastoral systems are the main form of agricultural production. However, marginal productivity, environmental degradation, low income brought about by limited investment, poor access to markets due to long distances from production to consumers, lack of infrastructures or suitable market chains, deficiencies in hygienic quality, poor sanitary conditions, together with open market policies and globalisation have increased pressure on dairy and dual purpose grazing systems contributing to reduced sustainability while compromising the lives of millions of rural dwellers.
This Specific Support Action (SSA) achieved to:
i) strengthened collaborative research links between European and Latin American stakeholders, technicians and mainly scientists;
ii) enhanced the knowledge base, including adoption of new techniques and research tools; and
iii) improved mechanisms of communication and dissemination of knowledge among Latin American scientists and stakeholders.
The SSA paid special effort to integrate the perspectives of different stakeholders (scientists, consultants, farmers associations' representatives and Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)' representatives) in order to obtain relevant information for suitable policy making and decision support.