The carbon footprint of livestock farms under conventional management and silvopastoral systems in Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche (Mexico)

Livestock production is one of the most important agricultural sources of greenhouses gasses (GHG). Transforming the livestock sector is a critical task to mitigate the effects of climate change, and the implementation of silvopastoral systems (SPS) may be a way to do so. Carbon footprint (CF) estim...

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Autores principales: Vega-Fonseca, Andrés, Martínez-Salinas, María Alejandra, Villanueva-Najarro, Cristobal, Jimenes-Trujillo, Jose Antonio, Betanzos Simon, Juan Edduardo, Pérez-Sánches, Edwin, Sepulveda, Claudia
Formato: Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Frontiers 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://repositorio.catie.ac.cr/handle/11554/12816
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author Vega-Fonseca, Andrés
Martínez-Salinas, María Alejandra
Villanueva-Najarro, Cristobal
Jimenes-Trujillo, Jose Antonio
Betanzos Simon, Juan Edduardo
Pérez-Sánches, Edwin
Sepulveda, Claudia
author_browse Betanzos Simon, Juan Edduardo
Jimenes-Trujillo, Jose Antonio
Martínez-Salinas, María Alejandra
Pérez-Sánches, Edwin
Sepulveda, Claudia
Vega-Fonseca, Andrés
Villanueva-Najarro, Cristobal
author_facet Vega-Fonseca, Andrés
Martínez-Salinas, María Alejandra
Villanueva-Najarro, Cristobal
Jimenes-Trujillo, Jose Antonio
Betanzos Simon, Juan Edduardo
Pérez-Sánches, Edwin
Sepulveda, Claudia
author_sort Vega-Fonseca, Andrés
collection Repositorio CATIE
description Livestock production is one of the most important agricultural sources of greenhouses gasses (GHG). Transforming the livestock sector is a critical task to mitigate the effects of climate change, and the implementation of silvopastoral systems (SPS) may be a way to do so. Carbon footprint (CF) estimation was carried out for 131 conventional livestock farms (CONF) and SPS farms (SPSF) selected in the states of Jalisco, Chiapas and Campeche (Mexico). GHG emissions were estimated based on interviews with the farmers and farm monitoring to collect information about management, milk production and the live weight gain (LWG) of calves (for meat production) using national emission factors. Emissions from animals, fossil fuels, electricity and nitrogen fertilizers were estimated using Tier I and II criteria. Land use distribution was recorded for each farm, and their carbon fixation in total biomass and soils was estimated using studies from tropical Latin America. CF was estimated for area and for production of milk and the LWG of calves. SPSF had lower GHG emissions, higher carbon fixation rates and a better CF than CONF (5.7 vs. 8.0 t CO2e/ha/year; 6.9 vs. 5.5 t C/ha/year and − 5.0 vs. −2.9 t CO2e/ha/year, respectively). The CF of milk production and calf LWG were − 68.6 to −4.6 kg CO2e/kg and − 3.2 to −0.1 t CO2e/kg, respectively. Our results highlight the importance of implementing SPS to mitigate climate change in livestock production, given its contribution to GHG emissions and the importance of capturing atmospheric carbon in biomass and soils. National and regional policies should focus on promoting implementing SPS as an active and effective strategy for improving CF in livestock farms.
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spelling RepoCATIE128162025-05-17T22:42:49Z The carbon footprint of livestock farms under conventional management and silvopastoral systems in Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche (Mexico) Vega-Fonseca, Andrés Martínez-Salinas, María Alejandra Villanueva-Najarro, Cristobal Jimenes-Trujillo, Jose Antonio Betanzos Simon, Juan Edduardo Pérez-Sánches, Edwin Sepulveda, Claudia Biomass Greenhouse gasses Mitigation Land use systems Carbon capture Sede Central ODS 12 - Producción y consumo responsables ODS 13 - Acción por el clima Livestock production is one of the most important agricultural sources of greenhouses gasses (GHG). Transforming the livestock sector is a critical task to mitigate the effects of climate change, and the implementation of silvopastoral systems (SPS) may be a way to do so. Carbon footprint (CF) estimation was carried out for 131 conventional livestock farms (CONF) and SPS farms (SPSF) selected in the states of Jalisco, Chiapas and Campeche (Mexico). GHG emissions were estimated based on interviews with the farmers and farm monitoring to collect information about management, milk production and the live weight gain (LWG) of calves (for meat production) using national emission factors. Emissions from animals, fossil fuels, electricity and nitrogen fertilizers were estimated using Tier I and II criteria. Land use distribution was recorded for each farm, and their carbon fixation in total biomass and soils was estimated using studies from tropical Latin America. CF was estimated for area and for production of milk and the LWG of calves. SPSF had lower GHG emissions, higher carbon fixation rates and a better CF than CONF (5.7 vs. 8.0 t CO2e/ha/year; 6.9 vs. 5.5 t C/ha/year and − 5.0 vs. −2.9 t CO2e/ha/year, respectively). The CF of milk production and calf LWG were − 68.6 to −4.6 kg CO2e/kg and − 3.2 to −0.1 t CO2e/kg, respectively. Our results highlight the importance of implementing SPS to mitigate climate change in livestock production, given its contribution to GHG emissions and the importance of capturing atmospheric carbon in biomass and soils. National and regional policies should focus on promoting implementing SPS as an active and effective strategy for improving CF in livestock farms. 2025-05-15T01:53:20Z 2025-05-15T01:53:20Z 2024-05-23 Artículo https://repositorio.catie.ac.cr/handle/11554/12816 openAccess en Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1363994 12 páginas application/pdf Frontiers
spellingShingle Biomass
Greenhouse gasses
Mitigation
Land use systems
Carbon capture
Sede Central
ODS 12 - Producción y consumo responsables
ODS 13 - Acción por el clima
Vega-Fonseca, Andrés
Martínez-Salinas, María Alejandra
Villanueva-Najarro, Cristobal
Jimenes-Trujillo, Jose Antonio
Betanzos Simon, Juan Edduardo
Pérez-Sánches, Edwin
Sepulveda, Claudia
The carbon footprint of livestock farms under conventional management and silvopastoral systems in Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche (Mexico)
title The carbon footprint of livestock farms under conventional management and silvopastoral systems in Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche (Mexico)
title_full The carbon footprint of livestock farms under conventional management and silvopastoral systems in Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche (Mexico)
title_fullStr The carbon footprint of livestock farms under conventional management and silvopastoral systems in Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche (Mexico)
title_full_unstemmed The carbon footprint of livestock farms under conventional management and silvopastoral systems in Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche (Mexico)
title_short The carbon footprint of livestock farms under conventional management and silvopastoral systems in Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche (Mexico)
title_sort carbon footprint of livestock farms under conventional management and silvopastoral systems in jalisco chiapas and campeche mexico
topic Biomass
Greenhouse gasses
Mitigation
Land use systems
Carbon capture
Sede Central
ODS 12 - Producción y consumo responsables
ODS 13 - Acción por el clima
url https://repositorio.catie.ac.cr/handle/11554/12816
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