Sustainable intensification of legume-based livestock systems

Executive Summary

This project gathers eight countries characterized by their high livestock activity for meat and dairy production. They concentrate about 400 million cattle heads, representing more than 20% of world stock.

Livestock is mainly produced under direct grazing, in different agroecosystems, with a high diversity of forage resources. Nevertheless, these countries present noticeable similarities: (i) livestock is developed in marginal areas for agriculture, (ii) livestock productivity is low, including poor grazing management and animal loads that are usually less than one animal per hectare, (iii) the efficiency rates are low and (iv) livestock is the principal source of greenhouse gas emissions in all the eight countries.

The forage legumes can play a central role through the biological fixation of atmospheric nitrogen (N), the improvement of the nutritional value of the animal´s diet, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Addressing these challenges and opportunities can be achieved more efficiently through a joint effort. Thus, the project aims to establish a regional platform of cooperation in the strengthening of livestock systems based on the use of forage legumes.

The technological solution

The member countries of the platform have in common that beef production activity is crucial for their economies. Additionally, they all can use legumes as a forage resource, distinct but with common characteristics, such as the capacity to fix N from the atmosphere. In this sense, this practice is a fundamental contribution to the saving of N fertilizers, the supply of N to plant nutrition, and the sequestration of carbon from soils. Depending on the balance between emissions and sequestration of carbon raises the possibility of mitigating the emission of gases from these livestock production systems. Saving on fertilizers also implies significant economic and energy reductions and environmental benefits.

This program trains human resources within the framework of a collaborative and complementary capacity setting.

Results

Beneficiaries

The direct beneficiaries are 2.532 people, including farmers, technicians, researchers, and students of the eight participating countries (Argentina 361, Brazil 163, Chile 333, Ecuador 336, Nicaragua 120, Paraguay 85, Dominican Republic 98, and Uruguay 1036. 

Regarding the type of beneficiaries achieved, 37 research institutes will participate with their respective experimental stations, 18 universities, 247 researchers, and 2230 farmers.

Sustainable Development Goals

Main donors

Dissemination products