Energia Incorporada na cadeia produtiva de suínos no Oeste do Paraná

Abstract

The western region of Paraná is among the main economic driving forces in agricultural production, especially in the pig production chain. Given the importance of this region for the economic development of the country and the energy demand used to transform raw material into products, this study aimed to estimate the energy incorporated in the pork production chain in the western region of Paraná. The research was conducted in 03 (three) areas that characterize the regional scenario of the production chain of pigs, being: Grain Production System (GSP); Feed Factory (FR); and Pig Breeding System (SCS). For the estimation, its physical dimension was associated, thus giving rise to the quantity that was multiplied by the respective rate of incorporation of energy being transformed into unit of energy. The data converted to energy units were considered by their type or composition, quantifying the energy of the system flows. Each of the values determined through the flow of materials was assigned its respective energy content, making it possible to determine the energy consumed, the energy produced and the energy efficiency indicators, which are: EROI (energy return over investment); Energy balance (BE); and Embedded Energy (EI). The SPG and FR resulted in EROI values below 1 confirming return on invested energy. The same was followed for the values referring to the BE, which represented a net gain compared to the operations performed on the systems. The EI in the harvested grains resulted in the values of 3.42 MJ kg-1 for the soybean crop and 1.89 MJ kg-1 for the maize crop. The EI in the manufactured ration was 0.17 MJ kg-1 produced. The EROI resulting from the average energy consumed and produced in the SCS was 4.68, with no energy return on the energy invested. The BE was -4.205.50 GJ lot-1 and the EI in the manufactured feed was 43.11 MJ kg-1 .