Índice de sustentabilidade na indústria da erva-mate

Abstract

Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.) is a legacy of the Guarani tradition that the peoples of Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil have shared for centuries. It is usually consumed as a mildly stimulating drink called mate. However, there are numerous other applications, such as in the composition of pharmaceutical products, dyes, cosmetics, food, and beverages. It is a native plant, often produced as a secondary crop on properties, but has excellent potential for expansion and commercialization. Its industrialization for producing yerba mate relies on relatively simple processes, of which little information is available related to sustainability. In this context, this work proposes evaluating the yerba mate processing industry's environmental, social, and economic aspects. Thus, industries from the north and northwest regions of Rio Grande do Sul were interviewed and answered a questionnaire with indicators associated with the tripod of sustainability. The responses were used to create a mathematical model to calculate the sustainability index. As a result, it was found that the maximum degree of sustainability for the environmental scope was obtained in 40% of the industries interviewed, while in the economic scope, it was 25%, and in the social scope, 35% of the industries interviewed. The global sustainability index was identified with a maximum degree for only 20% of the industries interviewed. These results show that there is still room for improvement and the need for interventions so that more industries achieve excellence. The methodology used can serve as a basis for evaluating any processing industry or production chain related to agribusiness. The results based on this system provide subsidies for adapting processes and certifying that production follows guidelines and other standardization aspects associated with sustainability, contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and emphasizing the search for sustainable food production and consumption.