Work Organization in Dairy and Beef Family Farms on an Amazonian Pioneer Front in Brazil. Study from Seven Work Assessment Surveys

Abstract

This study puts under a new light dairy family farms on the Amazonian frontier in Brazil: the technical organization of work. Labor appears to be an essential factor of livestock management and a constraint to the sustainable development of the farms. But, very little knowledge has been gathered to date. To show the work organization over one year, the working time was quantified and working groups described based on the so-called Travail Bilan method in seven dairy/beef farms. The same routine tasks were carried out with the dairy cattle in all the farms, with variations in daily working hours from 1h45 to 6h30 per permanent worker. Differences between farms were related to the number of permanent workers, to the number of milked cows, and to the manner the milk was marketed. During the year, 17 to 328 days were dedicated to seasonal work, including 17 to 176 days to pasture management. Some pasture activities (weeding, sowing, fencing) were delegated to temporary wage earning workers or volunteer family members. Three farmers’ strategies were identified based on simplified livestock management or the organization of workers’ groups. The study concludes that work is a factor to be taken into account to support the transformation of farming practices and sustainability of Amazonian family farms. Future actions of research-development in the Amazon region will enhance the knowledge necessary to identify possible ways of improvement.