Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The Brazilian agricultural sector constitutes itself as an important resource income for small producers all of whose manpower has been family character. The reduction of costs of the production process continues to make feasible the determining factor activity. For this it becomes necessary to verify the operational costs of production and analyze the factor which most impacts the costs of an enterprise of this nature. From this, it is necessary to think of a solution of working so as to integrate the production of energy and food. The objective of this study is to evaluate the economic viability of milk production in dairy cattle management systems pasture and confined in different scenarios related to animal feed, among which can highlight the determination of the integrated system of deployment of profitability of ethanol production and silage using sweet sorghum as raw material. In this study a quantitative approach was used. Realized the diagnosis of the dairy sector from the northwest region of the Rio Grande do Sul state (RS) through the withdrawals from analyzes performed by official bodies of the region (EMATER). The costs involved in the production of milk were provided obtained from the informal interviews in an intensive property that employs confined system and another system which uses intensive pasture. After assessing the costs held the integrated assessment of combustible ethanol production and silage for animal feed in a confined system. Diagnostic results of the show are positive and prospectus for growth. In relation to the production costs intensive pasture system presented a cost of R$ 0.72 per liter of milk produced, and the Intensive confined system has a cost of R$ 0.55 cents per liter. The economic analysis the two production systems are viable in the long run. About the integrated system, it is concluded it is a viable system and can increase the income of the small farmers. When analyzing the integrated production of ethanol and silage sweet sorghum and using the product in food, the profitability amounts to R$ 3.500,75 per hectare by employing confined system. / O setor agropecuário brasileiro constitui-se como importante fonte de renda para pequenos produtores cuja mão de obra é de cunho familiar. A redução dos custos do processo de produção continua sendo fator determinante para viabilizar a atividade. Para isso, faz-se necessário verificar os custos operacionais de produção e analisar o fator que mais impacta nos custos, de um empreendimento dessa natureza. A partir disso, é preciso pensar em uma solução de trabalhar de forma a integrar a produção de energia e alimento. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar a viabilidade econômica da produção de leite em sistemas de manejo do gado leiteiro pastoril e confinado, em diferentes cenários relacionados à alimentação animal, dentre os quais, se pode destacar a determinação da receita líquida de implantação de sistema integrado de produção de etanol e silagem, empregando sorgo sacarino como matéria-prima. Neste estudo foi utilizada uma abordagem quantitativa. Realizou-se o diagnóstico do setor leiteiro da região noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul (RS) através da análise de levantamentos realizados por órgãos oficiais da região (EMATER). Os custos envolvidos na produção de leite foram obtidos a partir de entrevista informal. Avaliou-se duas propriedades, uma que emprega o sistema intensivo em confinamento e outra que utiliza o sistema intensivo a pasto. Após a avaliação dos custos realizou-se a avaliação integrada de produção de etanol combustível e silagem para a alimentação animal em sistema confinado. Os resultados do diagnóstico apresentaram-se positivos e prospectos ao crescimento. Com relação aos custos de produção, o sistema intensivo a pasto apresentou custo de R$ 0,72 por litro de leite produzido, e o sistema Intensivo em confinamento R$ 0,55 centavos por litro. A análise econômica demonstra que os dois sistemas de produção são viáveis em longo prazo. Quanto ao sistema integrado, conclui-se que é um sistema viável e pode aumentar a renda do pequeno produtor rural. Ao analisar a produção integrada de etanol e ensilagem de sorgo sacarino e a utilização do mesmo na alimentação, a receita líquida chega a R$ 3.500,75 por hectare.

Ethiopia is one of the poorest and most populated countries in the world. It is also one of the largest receivers of foreign aid in the world. The Borana Plateau in the Oromia region is one of the poorest regions in southern Ethiopia. The local population in this region has relied on livestock for their livelihood for many generations. The growing number of humans and livestock on the Borana Plateau has caused the rangeland to be degraded. Coupled with more frequent and severe droughts, this growth can cause the loss of a large number of the livestock in this region from time-to-time. Several scientific and social studies have been conducted regarding how to maintain more sustainable livelihoods on the Borana Plateau in the face of all of these challenges. Most of the social science literature has focused on the poor and how to build their resiliency in the face of poverty and drought. Research about poor pastoralists is very important. However, it is likely the wealthy pastoralists of the region have the greatest potential to fuel economic activity by their investment decisions. This thesis focused on an analysis of portfolio diversification and risk management by wealthy pastoralists on the Borana Plateau. The method was to choose 12 important and wealthy pastoralists to survey to obtain data for the analysis. The idea was that wealthy pastoralists have more discretionary income available to invest compared to other local people. They have large-sized cattle herds, which leads to a larger-than-average consumption of the community water and forage resources. Wealthy pastoralists can also provide employment for the local communities for milking and herding activities. Understanding the diversification strategies used by this segment of the pastoralist population also provides some insights about the diversification strategies that are available and the barriers that exist to accessing different forms of investment to allow for diversification. This type of information may help us understand how to aid more general economic development in the Borana Plateau given that investment decisions of the wealthy are relatively important compared to the general population. It is also likely true that the livestock investment decisions by wealthy pastoralists may point to the future configuration of livestock herds on the Borana Plateau. A nonlinear quadratic program was used to estimate five optimal portfolios using a mean-variance (E-V) formulation for minimizing variance. These optimal portfolios were analyzed together with the portfolios actually held by the 12 participants using risk analysis. This included using portfolio analysis, stochastic dominance, and stochastic efficiency, and estimating risk premiums for different investment alternatives. It was found that large investments in camels, savings accounts, and real estate are preferred by very risk-averse producers. A combination of cattle, camels, and savings tended to make up the portfolios of more risk-seeking participants.