Programs and Practices in Sustainable Beef Cattle of Mato Grosso do Sul: Pathways to Sustainable Cattle Consolidation

Sustainability in beef cattle has been seen as one of the possibilities for the solution of environmental problems caused by agribusiness. This view, which seeks to disseminate values, believes in preserving instead of degradation, thus visualizing a possibility of change aiming competitiveness maintenance. This article explores these issues to conduct a qualitative and descriptive study aiming to identify the programs and key practices developed in Mato Grosso do Sul state that integrates sustainability in the beef cattle chain. The data used in this article were obtained from primary sources acquired by interviews with three officers from the institutions related to the beef cattle chain. The discussions in this article have identified that the main sustainable programs of beef cattle in Mato Grosso do Sul state are: Organic Cattle, Good Agricultural Practices and Farming, Livestock and Forestry Integration, demonstrating that through programs and practices it is possible to obtain sustainable beef cattle.