Economic and sustainability analysis of the camelids meat chain: the case of 'Decama' research methodology

The first phase of the Decama adopted approach for the analysis of domestic South America camelids’ (DSAC) meat chain and for the implementation of private and public interventions to valorize resources and overcome possible bottlenecks is explained. The final aim of such approach is to provide guidelines for the development of sustainable DSAC meat chain in selected South-American countries (Argentina, Bolivia and Peru), were DSAC production is relevant. A proper knowledge of available resources, social and agricultural political interventions, animal agriculture production systems, industrial and commercial enterprises involved in the DSAC meat chain is essential in this first phase. To this aim, social, economic, environmental and institutional data were collected through official statistics and farms/firms questionnaires, which provided the actual image of the general situation of the DSAC meat chain (e.g. herd and natural resource key indicators, demand and supply definitions, chain stadiums and market identification, food quality and safety legislation, labeling systems, government’s influence) and the main enterprises characteristics. For the socio-economic, sustainability and quality certification aspects, three types of questionnaires based on relevant and measurable selected indicators were developed adopting different criteria, with the Business Model (BM) being the most in-deep questionnaire. The BM will allow assessing the technical production systems of 5-7 farms/firms per country (case studies per chain meat stadium) and their related production costs and income. Questionnaires reflected the behaviour of the majority of entrepreneurs of a meaningful number of DSAC enterprises specialized in the production of good located in determined territory. For every chain stadium (i.e. production, processing and marketing), research activities are in progress. The most common models of enterprises in the territories were identified, case studies were selected, common questionnaires for data collection were produced and applied, and results comparison among different models of enterprises in comparable production systems of the three countries is undergoing. Form first results, questionnaire models showed to be suitable to all DSAC meat chains and, if permanently adopted by stakeholders, will represent a useful tool to monitor and detect changes in the DSAC systems for future actions, and to define a guideline framework for sustainable DSAC meat chains in defined landscape units.