a b s t r a c tThe carbon footprint (CF) of beef production is one of the most widely discussed environmental issues within the current agricultural community due to its association with climate change. Because of these relevant and serious concerns, the beef cattle industry is under increasing pressure to reduce production or implement technological changes with significant consequences in terms of beef marketing. The goals of this study were to evaluate the CF per 1 kg of live weight gain (LWG) at the farm gate for different beef production systems in the southern part of Brazil. Aberdeen Angus beef-bred cattle were assigned to one of seven categories: natural grass; improved natural grass; natural grass plus ryegrass; improved natural grass plus sorghum; cultivated ryegrass and sorghum; natural grass supplemented with protein mineralised salt; and natural grass supplemented with protein-energetic mineralised salt. Monte Carlo analysis was employed to analyse the effect of variations of dry matter intake digestibility (DMID), total digestible nutrients (TDN) and crude protein (CP) parameters in methane (CH 4 ) enteric, CH 4 manure, nitrous oxide (N 2 O) manure and N 2 O N-fertiliser. The method used was a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) centred on the CF. The CF varied from 18.3 kg CO 2 equivalent/kg LWG for the ryegrass and sorghum pasture system to 42.6 kg CO 2 equivalent/kg LWG for the natural grass system, including the contributions of cows, calves and steers. Among all grassland-based cattle farms, production systems with DMID from 52 to 59% achieved the lowest CO 2 emissions and the highest feed conversion rate, thereby generating lower CH 4 and N 2 O emissions per production system. Because the feed intake and feed conversion rate are one of the most important production parameters in beef cattle production with an obvious risk of data uncertainty, accurate feed data, which include quantity and quality, are important in estimates of CF for LWG. The choice of adequate feeding strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions may result in better environmental advantages.

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Movement of livestock production within a country or region has implications for genetics, adaptation, well-being, nutrition, and production logistics, particularly in continental-sized countries, such as Brazil. Cattle production in Brazil from 1977 to 2011 was spatialized, and the annual midpoint of production was calculated. Changes in the relative production and acceleration of production were calculated and spatialized using ARCGIS®. Cluster and canonical discriminant analyses were performed to further highlight differences between regions in terms of cattle production. The mean production point has moved from the Center of Minas Gerais State (in the southeast region) to the North of Goiás State (in the Midwest region). This reflects changes in environmental factors, such as pasture type, temperature and humidity. Acceleration in production in the northern region of Brazil has remained strong over the years. More recently, “traditional” cattle-rearing regions, such as the south and southeast, showed a reduction in growth rates as well as a reduction in herd size or internal migration over the period studied. These maps showed that this movement tends to be gradual, with few regions showing high acceleration or deceleration rates.

The aim of this study was to assess the seasonal effects of the environment on semen quality in bulls, using infrared thermography. Sperm motility (M), mass motion (MM), and vigor (VIG) were evaluated in sperm samples from 17 Bradford bulls aged approximately 24 months at the beginning of the study. Infrared thermography images and data were collected using an infrared FLIR T 300 camera and Quick Report 1.2 SP2 software to determine the temperature of the proximal and distal poles of the testis and to assess the testicular temperature gradient. The seasonal effects on physiological, seminal, and climatic variables were analyzed by the GLM ANOVA and CORR procedures using SAS®. The microclimatic factors were recorded in hourly intervals, and the daily mean temperature and mean relative humidity were calculated to determine the daily temperature-humidity index (THI) every day for 1 year. The temperature gradient (TG) variations of the testes were significantly higher in the autumn (4.5 °C), winter (4.0 °C), and spring (2.9 °C) compared to summer (0.9 °C) (P < 0.05). Ocular globe temperatures were lower in the winter (27.6 °C) and autumn (26.8 °C) compared to summer (33.9 °C) and spring (31.1 °C) (P < 0.05). The average MM (2.58), M (52.64), and VIG (2.70) of the semen decreased in the summer compared to other seasons (P < 0.01). The TG was negatively correlated with THI (-0.44; P < 0.05). For the seminal variables, MaD (-0.45; P < 0.05) and TD (-0.50; P < 0.01) presented a negative correlation with TG. The TG had a positive correlation between M and VIG, which had values of 0.36 and 0.35, respectively (P < 0.05). We have concluded that infrared thermography can be used to assess the testicular temperature gradient and its consequences on physical and quantitative aspects of sperm.

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RESUMO -Analisou-se o perfil de consumidores de carne bovina e determinou-se o consumo de carne com certificação visando obter dados sobre a importância e o valor da certificação da carne na hora da compra. Avaliou-se ainda o conhecimento do consumidor de carne bovina quanto à certificação da carne e quanto esse consumidor paga por este processo. A pesquisa foi realizada em uma rede de supermercados, mediante a aplicação de questionários dirigidos às pessoas próximas aos balcões com carne, independentemente da espécie animal. Os consumidores exigem alimentos com qualidade e certificados confiáveis que demonstrem e garantam a qualidade dos alimentos, porém, estão dispostos a pagar somente um pouco a mais pela certificação, em comparação ao valor atual de mercado, provavelmente pelo fato de sua renda mensal não permitir maior valorização desse atributo.Palavras-chave: consumidor, cor, maciez, preço, rastreabilidade, sanidade Willingness of consumers from Porto Alegre county, Rio Grande do Sul state, for purchasing beef meat with certificationABSTRACT -The profile of beef meat consumers was analyzed, as well as the consumption of certificated meat, with the objective of obtaining data on the importance the of certification value at the purchasing occasion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the beef meat consumers awareness regarding the meat certification and how much they are willing to pay for this process. The data survey was carried out in only one supermarket chain from the city of Porto Alegre -RS, Brazil, which authorized the research interviewing people through questionnaires, close to refrigerator counters of any meat species.It was observed that consumers are demanding for food with quality attributes, with trustful certifications that testify these quality attributes. However, the data obtained from interviews with consumers showed that they are willing to pay only little more for certification than the current price, probably due to the fact that their average monthly income ranges from one to six minimum wages.Key Words: color, consumers, price, sanity, softness, traceability IntroduçãoA preocupação dos consumidores brasileiros com a qualidade da carne consumida aumentou principalmente após a ocorrência de encefalopatia espongiforme bovina em 1996 no Reino Unido. A doença da vaca louca transformou o consumidor europeu de carne bovina em fiscalizador e defensor da qualidade e da origem da carne (Saab, 1999).Desde o começo da década de 90, a cadeia produtiva de carne bovina no Brasil passou por adaptações para atender ao mercado internacional. Apesar dos avanços, algumas destas mudanças geram maiores custos de produção, todavia, a segurança alimentar é uma necessidade, independentemente do ponto geográfico mundial e do poder aquisitivo do consumidor.Os aspectos relacionados à segurança alimentar permitem obter maior qualidade do produto e conquistar a confiança do consumidor, considerando seus gostos e suas preferências (estética, valores nutricionais, aspectos ambientais, rastreabilidade, entre outr...

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