02138naa a2200325 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000170006024501660007726000090024352012080025265000120146065000200147265000180149265000120151065000130152265000150153565000260155065300160157665300200159265300110161265300190162365300230164265300190166565300140168465300150169865300240171370000150173777300600175213219882024-06-11       1999    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d1 aCOSTA, F. P.  aExploring the link between farmers' objectives and the phenomenon of pasture degradation in the beef production systems of Central Brazil.h[electronic resource]  c1999  aIn Central Brazil, half the area under sown pasture suffers from the phenomenon of pasture degradation; overgrazing is believed to be the main cause. Farmers' objectives and their links to the practice of overgrasing have been explored to obtain a better understanding of the decisions related to the setting of the stocking rate. A survey of beef cattle farmers was carried out, preceded by an exploratory poll of experts on such production systems. The method of paired comparisons was used for eliciting and analysing farmers' objectives. 'Intergenerational transfer' and cattel ownership' are the most dominant objectives. Bacause cattle ownership is implicitly included in the assets involved in intergenerational transfer, possessing cattle assumes an outstanding importance in the hierarchy of farmes' objectives. These findings elucidate the paradox of overgrazing and provide a basis for treating the perception on the influence of objectives on the degradation phenomenon from being a conjecture to that of an empirically valid hypothesis. They also suggest the need for incorporating the objective 'maximise the number of cattle owned' in the analysis and modeling of stocking rate decisions.  afarmers  afarming systems  asown pastures  aCerrado  aPastagem  aPecuarista  aSistema de Produção  aBeef cattel  aBovino de corte  aBrasil  aBrasil Central  aBrazilian savannas  aCentral Brazil  aCultivada  aDegradacao  aPasture degradation1 aREHMAN, T.  tAgricultural Systems, Benkinggv. 61, p. 134-146, 1999.