At the end of the 20th and early 21st century, agricultural systems incorporated definitively a new mission: to generate goods for a world population that continues to grow and whose way of life demand food with low environmental impact. Soybean is the main raw material for the production of biodiesel in Brazil, accountably responsible for 82.4% of the total produced between 2006 and 2013. The Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), which is formed by the Pampa and the Atlantic forest biomes, was responsible for 35.7% of the country's biodiesel production in the referred period. The aim of this paper was to verify the impact of the increased area of soybean cultivation in land use in Rio Grande do Sul State, in the period between 1990 and 2015, considering separately its two biomes (Pampa and Atlantic Forest) original areas, using both census dataset and satellite images. We used the period from 1990 to 2000 as before commodity rising price (BCRP) and the period from 2000 to 2013 as commodity rising price (CRP). The 505,162 ha from Atlantic Forest biome and 1,192,115ha from Pampa biome were added to soybean production in the CRP period. In the Atlantic Forest, this enlargement occurred in the border of the main production area, while in Pampa biome conversion of natural grassland to crop land was the main reason for the large increment in the cultivated area.

The objective of this study was to analyse the sustainability of different livestock systems in the Brazilian Pampa biome, from the perspective of the rangeland dilemma. We used the indicator-based framework for evaluating the sustainability of natural resource management systems (MESMIS). These were constructed for social, economic and environmental dimensions, and they were measured across a study suite of 115 establishments, representing the rangeland livestock system (RLS), intensive livestock system, and livestock–agricultural system (ALS). Indicator averages were compared between three systems via ANOVA and Tukey test. The results allocated a higher level of sustainability to RLS. When the three land-use systems were analysed across the dimensions, significant differences were found in their environmental sustainability, with the ALS presenting poorer results. Within each dimension, there were significant differences in the indicators for production systems, social participation and capital flow. We discussed two main points: the results found through the concept of the rangeland dilemma, by exploring its conditions, in addition to exposing the concept of functional integrity. In conclusion, an approach to develop policies for the Pampa is to recognize the rangeland as a “common good”, to generate income and stimulate the local economy.

O estado do Rio Grande do Sul apresenta ecossistemas heterogêneos, devido ao grande número de tipos de solo e à variação em altitude e clima, que se reflete na diversidade da composição florística das diferentes comunidades vegetais. A Área de Proteção Ambiental do Ibirapuitã (APA do Ibirapuitã), é a única unidade de conservação federal, representante do bioma campos sulinos no Brasil. O objetivo deste trabalho foi obter informação sobre a qualidade do campo natural oriundo de três tipos de solos predominantes na APA do Ibirapuitã: Basalto superficial, Basalto profundo e Arenito obtidos por três formas de amostragem: Corte de emparelhamento, Simulação de pastejo através de coleta manual e Corte total acima da fração mantilho. Os dados foram coletados mensalmente, no período de outubro/2001 a setembro/2003. A pastagem nativa no solo de Basalto superficial apresenta forragem com qualidade nutricional superior quando comparado ao Basalto profundo e ao Arenito, comprovada pelas diferentes análises de qualidade realizadas. O método de coleta de amostras de forragem de pastagem nativa somente não influencia os resultados da análise de Fibra em Detergente Neutro. Os resultados indicam a simulação de pastejo como um método adequado de amostragem para avaliação da qualidade da pastagem nativa, devido à sua efetividade e facilidade de coleta.

Aim of study: To develop and measure sustainability indicators for the water-food-energy nexus in the Ibirapuitã river basin production systems in the Brazilian Pampa biome. The research seeks to contribute to the area of agriculture and sustainability along two lines: a) develop a methodology of sustainability indicators that can be applied to farming systems globally; and b) increase understanding of the interrelationship between water, food and energy and how it affects rural areas' sustainability. Area of study: The study was conducted in the Ibirapuitã river basin in the Brazilian Pampa biome. Material and methods: The construction of the indicators was based on the MESMIS methodology (Framework for the Evaluation of Management Systems incorporating Sustainability Indicators). In research, 121 farming systems were sampled. The sustainability indexes of the indicators between and within each dimension were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's test. Main results: A significant difference was found between the averages of the indices of the dimensions in the production systems of the basin (p<0.05). The water dimension presented the highest level of sustainability, classified as "ideal". The energy dimension presented an intermediate level of sustainability, classified as "acceptable”. Furthermore, the food dimension presented the lowest sustainability index among the nexus, classified as "alert". These indexes contribute to identifying the main action points for improving the systems, being an essential tool for local rural extension. Research highlights: The study consolidated a methodology for measuring sustainability indicators based on farming systems' water, energy, and food production characteristics, capable of being replicated in other realities.

The objective of this study was to analyze meso-institutions, and their effect on the performance of the dairy farms in the regions along the western border of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Exploratory and descriptive research was conducted using a mixed-methods approach. The data collection techniques included documentary research, interviews, self-reports, and questionnaires administered to a sample of 96 milk producers. Interpretive analysis was used to process the qualitative data, and the Mann–Whitney U test and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the quantitative data. The results of the analyses led to the identification of the meso-institutions and their role in interpreting, implementing, and monitoring rules in the milk supply chain. The findings indicated that the meso-institutions do not operate uniformly in the various milk-producing regions. The regression results indicated that effective monitoring by the meso-institutions positively influences the milk producer’s perception of performance. Therefore, to maintain the sector’s competitiveness, meso-institutions are necessary for interpreting, implementing, and monitoring the implementation of rules in the organizational arrangement in the dairy supply chain. The research brings advances in the field of knowledge of meso-institutions, a research frontier of the new institutional economics. Provide subsidies for public and private policies to consolidate the milk supply chain in emerging countries, especially highlighting the importance of meso-institutions as interlocutors between the macro level and the economic and social problems of producers.

This study analyzed the change in land use in the Environmental Protection Area (EPA) of the Ibirapuitã River in the Pampa biome, Brazil, and its impact on the economic dynamics of the region. The analysis had a descriptive character with a quantitative approach. Methodologically, we constructed a database with macroeconomic and agricultural production variables of the four municipalities that compose the EPA Territory, including remote sensing images to assess the change in land use between 2000 and 2020. Moreover, regression models were used to determine the growth trends in agricultural production and analyze the impact of land-use change on the economic dynamics of the territory. The results indicated a shift in land use in the EPA territorry, resulting from transforming natural pastures into grain cropping systems. Profitability-based production is one of the main factors for change in land use. The expansion of soybean production positively impacted the economic variables of the territory. However, this EPA of the Ibirapuitã was essential to ensure conservation use of the region during this period, maintaining the areas of natural pasture in the biome. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a representative public policy for the Pampa biome that offers incentives and encourages the conservation of ecosystem services in agricultural exploitation.