Exploring drivers and levels of technology adoption for ecological intensification of pastoral systems in north Patagonia drylands

Although pastoral systems make a significant contribution to food security, they are also pointed out as being responsible for substantial environmental impact. Ecological intensification through process- rather than inputbased technologies has been proposed as a means to achieve economic, environme...

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Main Authors: Hara, Sofia Maria, Faverin, Claudia, Villagra, Edgar Sebastian, Easdale, Marcos Horacio, Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
Format: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/11135
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167880921004084
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2021.107704
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author Hara, Sofia Maria
Faverin, Claudia
Villagra, Edgar Sebastian
Easdale, Marcos Horacio
Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
author_browse Easdale, Marcos Horacio
Faverin, Claudia
Hara, Sofia Maria
Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
Villagra, Edgar Sebastian
author_facet Hara, Sofia Maria
Faverin, Claudia
Villagra, Edgar Sebastian
Easdale, Marcos Horacio
Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
author_sort Hara, Sofia Maria
collection INTA Digital
description Although pastoral systems make a significant contribution to food security, they are also pointed out as being responsible for substantial environmental impact. Ecological intensification through process- rather than inputbased technologies has been proposed as a means to achieve economic, environmental, and social win-win situations. We studied structural diversity, technology adoption, farmer´s strategies, and functional attributes (productivity, reproductive efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, diversification, and self-sufficiency) of pastoral systems in North Patagonia based on interviews of 70 farms with the following objectives: (a) to analyze farm structural characteristics as drivers of technology adoption for ecological intensification, (b) to describe their association with farmers´livelihood strategies, and (c) to explore trade-offs and synergies among functional attributes. An ongoing ecological intensification was revealed based on the adoption of technologies towards animal´s welfare, survival, and overall systems´efficiency, on-farm produced feed (self-sufficiency), and product diversification, promoting nutrient re-cycling within farm boundaries. Four farm types were differentiated by their access to information exchange channels, which together with labor characteristics determined technology adoption and farmers´ strategies. The main strategy of family farms that exhibited low to no hired labor, and intermediate to low access to information, was the diversification of products or incomes. Larger farms, with hired labor and access to information exchange channels, had an entrepreneurial strategy towards increasing production efficiencies. Enteric emission intensity per unit product and area exhibited significant trade-offs with meat production (Spearman ρ = 0.87; Y = 0.459 X + 0.352; R2 = 0.95), and synergies with reproduction efficiency (Spearman ρ = 0.51; Y = 0.013 X + 1.612; R2 = 0.28), respectively. Improving individual animal production instead of per unit area is encouraged to prevent overgrazing and land degradation, searching for win-win’s between emission mitigation and livestock production.
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institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
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spelling INTA111352022-02-14T11:59:24Z Exploring drivers and levels of technology adoption for ecological intensification of pastoral systems in north Patagonia drylands Hara, Sofia Maria Faverin, Claudia Villagra, Edgar Sebastian Easdale, Marcos Horacio Tittonell, Pablo Adrian Sostenibilidad Pastoralismo Ganado Bovino Ganadería Extensiva Sustainability Pastoralism Cattle Extensive Husbandry Región Patagónica Although pastoral systems make a significant contribution to food security, they are also pointed out as being responsible for substantial environmental impact. Ecological intensification through process- rather than inputbased technologies has been proposed as a means to achieve economic, environmental, and social win-win situations. We studied structural diversity, technology adoption, farmer´s strategies, and functional attributes (productivity, reproductive efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, diversification, and self-sufficiency) of pastoral systems in North Patagonia based on interviews of 70 farms with the following objectives: (a) to analyze farm structural characteristics as drivers of technology adoption for ecological intensification, (b) to describe their association with farmers´livelihood strategies, and (c) to explore trade-offs and synergies among functional attributes. An ongoing ecological intensification was revealed based on the adoption of technologies towards animal´s welfare, survival, and overall systems´efficiency, on-farm produced feed (self-sufficiency), and product diversification, promoting nutrient re-cycling within farm boundaries. Four farm types were differentiated by their access to information exchange channels, which together with labor characteristics determined technology adoption and farmers´ strategies. The main strategy of family farms that exhibited low to no hired labor, and intermediate to low access to information, was the diversification of products or incomes. Larger farms, with hired labor and access to information exchange channels, had an entrepreneurial strategy towards increasing production efficiencies. Enteric emission intensity per unit product and area exhibited significant trade-offs with meat production (Spearman ρ = 0.87; Y = 0.459 X + 0.352; R2 = 0.95), and synergies with reproduction efficiency (Spearman ρ = 0.51; Y = 0.013 X + 1.612; R2 = 0.28), respectively. Improving individual animal production instead of per unit area is encouraged to prevent overgrazing and land degradation, searching for win-win’s between emission mitigation and livestock production. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche Fil: Hara, Sofia Maria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Hara, Sofia Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Faverin, Claudia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina Fil: Faverin, Claudia. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina Fil: Villagra, Edgar Sebastian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Area Produccion Animal; Argentina Fil: Villagra, Edgar Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Easdale, Marcos Horacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Área Desarrollo Rural; Argentina Fil: Easdale, Marcos Horacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Groningen University. Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences; Holanda 2022-02-14T11:54:46Z 2022-02-14T11:54:46Z 2022-02 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/11135 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167880921004084 0167-8809 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2021.107704 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Elsevier Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 324 : Art. 107704 (Febrero 2022)
spellingShingle Sostenibilidad
Pastoralismo
Ganado Bovino
Ganadería Extensiva
Sustainability
Pastoralism
Cattle
Extensive Husbandry
Región Patagónica
Hara, Sofia Maria
Faverin, Claudia
Villagra, Edgar Sebastian
Easdale, Marcos Horacio
Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
Exploring drivers and levels of technology adoption for ecological intensification of pastoral systems in north Patagonia drylands
title Exploring drivers and levels of technology adoption for ecological intensification of pastoral systems in north Patagonia drylands
title_full Exploring drivers and levels of technology adoption for ecological intensification of pastoral systems in north Patagonia drylands
title_fullStr Exploring drivers and levels of technology adoption for ecological intensification of pastoral systems in north Patagonia drylands
title_full_unstemmed Exploring drivers and levels of technology adoption for ecological intensification of pastoral systems in north Patagonia drylands
title_short Exploring drivers and levels of technology adoption for ecological intensification of pastoral systems in north Patagonia drylands
title_sort exploring drivers and levels of technology adoption for ecological intensification of pastoral systems in north patagonia drylands
topic Sostenibilidad
Pastoralismo
Ganado Bovino
Ganadería Extensiva
Sustainability
Pastoralism
Cattle
Extensive Husbandry
Región Patagónica
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/11135
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167880921004084
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2021.107704
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