Brazil is a very poor performer (“F”) under the VACI. The country has a very high level of production and consumption of animal products and cruel farming practices are still permitted.
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Brazil is a high-volume animal producer, slaughtering around 30.8 land-based animals per person per year, compared to a global average of 10.1. The country's dependency on farmed animals is relatively high, with around 8 farmed animals per person, double the global average of 4.1. Factory farmed production of pigs, chickens and other farmed birds is widespread throughout the country. Around 82.6% of the animals farmed in Brazil are broiler chickens.
The Brazilian diet contains a high proportion of animal products, with 57% of the average Brazilian diet being made up of land-based animal protein, versus a global average of 35.2%. Each Brazilian consumes around 50.3g of land-based animal protein per day, compared with a global average of 27.2g. According to the Brazilian Institute of Public Opinion and Statistics, 7% of the Brazilian population identified as vegetarian in 2012.
Brazil is a marginal performer ("D") under the Animal Protection Index (API), and its farmed animal protection legislation achieved the same rating under the index. Although Brazil does have animal protection laws in place, it continues to permit cruel factory farming practices such as sow stalls, farrowing crates, and battery cages. Learn more about the quality of Brazil's legislative protections on the API here.