This paper intends to present some of the concepts of coordination of agribusiness systems (AGSs) and of competitiveness between chains, specifically meat chains (beef, pork and chicken meat). Then, some recent examples of different forms of coordination of AGSs are analysed and also how they affect competitiveness between the chains.

The title may raise questions about definitions of the terms used. The more obvious ones are: 1) What is transfer? 2) How to define toxic; and 3) How to define feed or food. A more underlying question is how to measure the substances we are interested in. The (often) chemical methods used, are not always sensitive or specific enough. Sometimes, biologically based methods are used which detect a biological response, but seldom identify the compound responsible for that. Transfer is […]

One third to one half of each animal produced for meat, milk, eggs, and fiber is not consumed by humans. These raw materials are subjected to rendering processes resulting in many useful products. Meat and bone meal, meat meal, poultry meal, hydrolyzed feather meal, blood meal, fish meal, and animal fats are the primary products resulting from the rendering process. The most important and valuable use for these animal by-products is as feed ingredients for livestock, poultry, aquaculture, and companion […]

From the origins the man has looked and selected vegetables with nutritive value for larger productivity. The knowledge of DNA structure allowed genetic engineering to develop and supplying tools for the accomplishment of specific alterations in the genome considerably. The products of these alterations are denominated transgenic or organisms genetically modified (OGM) and they present high application potential in several areas of the human activity as: agriculture, medicine, health, production and processing of foods, biochemical production and control of diseases. […]