Theme 7-2: Capacity, Institutions and Innovations for Sustainable Development--Poster Sessions
Description
The perception and valuation that livestock farmers have about ecosystem services provided by natural pastures is of fundamental importance to their management decisions and the conservation of this resource. This work aims to reveal results of a project carried out in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay using the TESSA (Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment) methodology to compare the perceptions of different ecosystem services among livestock farmers and researchers. The methodology was participatory workshops, two by country, one with livestock farmers participating in the Grassland Alliance (at least 50% of natural grassland in the livestock production system) and another with researchers working in grassland based livestock production. Main services targeted by producers were their way of life, water quality, water regulation, scenic beauty, meat quality, and fodder production. On the other hand, the researchers target ecosystem services related to forage production (food and fiber), water regulation, erosion control, carbon sequestration, soil fertility, and tourism. Farmers value their habitat in a more sensitive way and place more importance to intangible services that benefit their well-being and future generations. At the same time, researchers mainly point to quantitative benefits of pasture, soil and water as well as the potential for tourism.
Included in
Livestock Farmers and Researchers Perceptions about Ecosystem Services Provided by Rio de la Plata Grasslands
The perception and valuation that livestock farmers have about ecosystem services provided by natural pastures is of fundamental importance to their management decisions and the conservation of this resource. This work aims to reveal results of a project carried out in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay using the TESSA (Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment) methodology to compare the perceptions of different ecosystem services among livestock farmers and researchers. The methodology was participatory workshops, two by country, one with livestock farmers participating in the Grassland Alliance (at least 50% of natural grassland in the livestock production system) and another with researchers working in grassland based livestock production. Main services targeted by producers were their way of life, water quality, water regulation, scenic beauty, meat quality, and fodder production. On the other hand, the researchers target ecosystem services related to forage production (food and fiber), water regulation, erosion control, carbon sequestration, soil fertility, and tourism. Farmers value their habitat in a more sensitive way and place more importance to intangible services that benefit their well-being and future generations. At the same time, researchers mainly point to quantitative benefits of pasture, soil and water as well as the potential for tourism.
