Food Animals in Brazil: Five Decades of Transformation

Abstract

The authors address the profound transformations in the consumption and production of animal-sourced foods that took place over the last five decades in this country. Abundance of land, natural resources, and governmental incentives, combined with a pronounced appetite for meat, dairy, and eggs nationally and abroad created in Brazil the perfect conditions for the rapid expansion of the livestock industry. They examine the consequences of this phenomenon for the lives of animals, the health of the population, and the local environment.