Description
Consumers around the world are beginning to demand products whose production systems have environmental guarantees. Among them, those derived from regenerative agriculture have a growing demand in many markets. A comprehensive environmental assessment was carried out in 9 case studies of mixed livestock production farms (cattle and sheep) in Uruguay as a basis for the development of a system redesign process following the principles of regenerative agriculture. The results show that emission intensity was 16.0, 10.5, and 49.2 kg CO2 eq kg-1 of beef, sheep meat, and greasy wool, respectively. Also, a simulation exercise shows a significative reduction of emission through animal genetic improvement. Soil carbon stocks (59.6 to 93.6 Mg ha-1) and the different level of biodiversity assessment show a very good situation with an Ecosystem Integrity Index above 3.5, which implies more a necessity to conserve rather than regenerate. Considering this analysis, the path that farmers begin to walk following the principles of regenerative agriculture is a challenge towards maximizing biological efficiency and environmental optimization through process technology application. All these indicators and the recommended good management practices will integrate into a protocol for making verifiable the prosses and the results.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.13023/59c5-se78
Citation
Blumetto, Oscar; Bustamante, M.; Castagna, A.; Caresani, D.; Ciappesoni, G.; Baptista, R.; and De Barbieri, I., "Regenera+.uy: Designing a Co-Innovation Process to Apply the Principles of Regenerative Livestock Production" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 9.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/XXV_IGC_2023/Sustainability/9
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Regenera+.uy: Designing a Co-Innovation Process to Apply the Principles of Regenerative Livestock Production
Consumers around the world are beginning to demand products whose production systems have environmental guarantees. Among them, those derived from regenerative agriculture have a growing demand in many markets. A comprehensive environmental assessment was carried out in 9 case studies of mixed livestock production farms (cattle and sheep) in Uruguay as a basis for the development of a system redesign process following the principles of regenerative agriculture. The results show that emission intensity was 16.0, 10.5, and 49.2 kg CO2 eq kg-1 of beef, sheep meat, and greasy wool, respectively. Also, a simulation exercise shows a significative reduction of emission through animal genetic improvement. Soil carbon stocks (59.6 to 93.6 Mg ha-1) and the different level of biodiversity assessment show a very good situation with an Ecosystem Integrity Index above 3.5, which implies more a necessity to conserve rather than regenerate. Considering this analysis, the path that farmers begin to walk following the principles of regenerative agriculture is a challenge towards maximizing biological efficiency and environmental optimization through process technology application. All these indicators and the recommended good management practices will integrate into a protocol for making verifiable the prosses and the results.
