Análise sobre o consumo de carne bovina: um estudo no município de Fortaleza

Abstract

The current ecological crisis, made quite evident when the discussion on global warming is one of the most challenging topics today, highlights the imperative of rethinking consumption and production patterns, especially those linked to food systems, which put so much pressure on planetary limits. In this sense, the present work set out to analyze how production and consumption patterns involving beef cattle farming, an activity that has greater representation in the segment's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), are related to the factors that compromise the economy , the environment and public health. For this, in addition to relying on a bibliographical survey and secondary data, from official sources such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), a questionnaire was used to characterize meat consumers in the city of Fortaleza from a socioeconomic perspective. . It was a semi-structured questionnaire, which consisted of 15 questions, containing multiple choice questions, and one open question. Due to the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the digital medium was adopted, through the Google Forms platform, for its application between the period of September and November 2021. In order to evaluate how socioeconomic components relate to choices in the role of consumer, all data collected were processed using STATA 14 and Microsoft Office Excel software. The purpose of using these tools was to encourage the process of data analysis and manipulation, enabling the construction of spreadsheets and graphical representations. The non-probability sample configuration included 278 people living in Fortaleza (CE), which were concentrated in a younger population stratum, with a higher level of income and education. The results obtained were compared to those of a survey already carried out nationally by Ipec (Intelligence in Research and Strategic Consulting), in 2021. Although there are several layers inherent to the food issue, meat consumption is a social habit that is highly encouraged as a standard in Brazilian culture, which still associates it as a symbol of abundance and sociability. However, the damage inherent to its current production patterns, represented by an expansionist model, which is one of the main responsible for the accelerated deforestation of the Amazon and is closely linked to the excessive use of pesticides in grain monocultures, which are not computed in their monetary value. It is expected, therefore, that this work can shed light on issues involving the livestock sector and encourage a path towards accountability among all its agents.