The future of small ruminants in Brazil: Lessons from the recent period and scenarios for the next decade

Brazilian goat and sheep farming has increased their activities in the past years, with an increase of the number of flocks, of farms with sheep and goats, of animals and volume of dairy products sold. We observed an improvement of the professionalization of the activity, with added - value products and the creation of cooperatives and other collective initiatives; farmers improved their hygienic and sanitary conditions and often obtained certification. They created certification and created commercial establishments, from meat boutiques, presence in gondolas of large supermarket chains, to restaurants specialized in the sale of products of caprine origin and sheep. The history of the introduction of small ruminants in the country significantly influenced the organization and market positioning that we see today. The consumption of beef and dairy products has long been preponderant in the country what logically favored cattle breeding. Consequently, for a long time, small ruminants were exclusively dedicated to informal or self-consumption regional markets in the Northeast and South of Brazil.