Holistic Risk Index: A Case Study of Cattle Producers in the Protected Area of Farrapos Estuaries—Uruguay

Abstract

Agricultural intensification promotes floods and threatens family livestock production in the protected area of Farrapos Estuaries, Uruguay. Using the Holistic Risk Index (Barrera, J. F., Herrera, J., and J. Gómez. Riesgo-vulnerabilidad hacia la broca del café bajo un enfoque de manejo holístico. La Broca del Café en América Tropical: Hallazgos y Enfoques. ECOSUR-SME 2007), this study analyzes the interrelationships among threat, vulnerability and responsiveness. Four livestock producers were shown to have low risk due to their high responsiveness; eighteen producers were shown to have medium risk and were divided into high vulnerability, low vulnerability and increased responsiveness groups; and three producers were shown to have high risk due to high threat and vulnerability and a lower responsiveness. Responsiveness is related to the use of agroecological principles and the agroecological criteria that guide strategies among producers and within the protected area.

KEYWORDS:

• risk index
• environmental resilience
• family livestock production
• agroecology
• protected areas