Typology of Brazilian dairy farms based on vulnerability characteristics

Vulnerability has been a recurring theme in animal production research around the world, as it can lead to a series of outcomes, such as abandonment of the activity. Nevertheless, in Brazil, the fifth-largest milk producer in the world, studies assessing dairy farmers' vulnerabilities are scarce. Better understanding of dairy farm vulnerability may contribute to reducing the consequences of vulnerability. In view of these limitations, we sought to analyze the typology of dairy farms based on vulnerability characteristics. We applied on-site questionnaires to 128 dairy farmers located in Paraná State, Brazil. Structural, productive, and socioeconomic data were collected and subjected to factor analysis. Two vulnerability indicators were identified: F1, productive and economic indicator; and F2, feed self-sufficiency indicator. Hierarchical cluster analysis of factor scores revealed three groups of dairy farms: Group 1, highly vulnerable; Group 2, less vulnerable; and Group 3, non-vulnerable. Dairy farms with higher vulnerability represented most of the sample, followed by less vulnerable and non-vulnerable dairy farms. Our findings indicated that the productive and economic characteristics of farms contributed the most to explaining differences in vulnerability, followed by feed self-sufficiency characteristics. Social characteristics of farmers were not important in differentiating the analyzed sample. There was an interdependent relationship between vulnerability indicators, namely productive and economic characteristics and feed self-sufficiency.