Rabbit meat contribution to vulnerable family diet, in Mendoza northeastern departments, Argentina

Abstract

Pour families feeding, especially in developing countries, is limited in the intake of animal protein, among other deficiencies. Their diet can be improved by incorporating rabbit meat produced by themselves at familiar farms. This has been demonstrated, in different emerging countries of the world, by the results of the implementation of projects and programs for this purpose over time. PROHUERTA Program, financed by the Argentinian Social Development Ministry and executed by National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), has been implemented for 30 years, with the purpose of improving the diet of population in vulnerable situation through orchards and farms of domestic species. In this research, the amount of protein supplied to the family diet and the required time for animal care were quantified, which support the importance of this type of production in rural and peri-urban areas in Mendoza province northeast. The methodology was based on the analysis of 32 survey results realized to members of these families. In addition, qualified referents as public agents of Extension and Rural Development Area of INTA, responsible of territorial execution of PROHUERTA Program, were interviewed. As a result, it is possible to observe that the contribution of rabbit meat was sufficiently significant for the surveyed families, in 44% of the cases the consumption has weekly frequency, and in 56% of the cases, monthly.