Resumen

CORDOVA SAEZ, Karenia. Agro-Food Sector Eco-Efficiency in Venezuela: Assessing Structure, Trends, and End-Use Energy. Terra [online]. 2010, vol.26, n.39, pp.77-98. ISSN 1012-7089.

The structure of the energy consumption matrix in Venezuela is based on fossil fuels due to their relative abundance and promoted further by a policy of subsidized prices. This situation has discourage the adoption of eco-efficient practices, however, due to the prospect of climate change and the country’s adhesion to the Kyoto Protocol, the Venezuelan State is committed to design and implement policies that encourage adoption of eco-efficient practices in the industry, which requires an assessment of their situation in terms of energy management. Within this, the food industry is one an important component, for the volume of industrial output and consumption of raw materials and energy. This study is part of the project «Integrated Management (Technology, Quality and Environment) of Venezuelan Agro industry, developed by researchers from three universities (ULA-LUZ-UCV) with support from the National Foundation for Science and, Technology Research (FONACIT). The objective is to analyze the energy structure of the food industry, as well as initiatives to incorporate eco-efficient practices in the environmental and technology management of companies. The study includes an evaluation of the energy consumption in the agro-industry, to determine the structure and trends of the energy use identifying the incorporation of eco-efficient practices in a large sample of 129 firms for all the branches of the sector, across the country.

Palabras clave : Agro-food industry; Energy Consumption; Environmental Management.