Challenges and opportunities for sustainable cattle production

Under the framework of the project “The Zero-Deforestation Revolution: Breaking the link between agricultural commodities and deforestation”, and in coordination with the Colombian Roundtable on Sustainable Livestock, the Tropical Forest Alliance, and the Zero Deforestation Agreements for Dairy and Beef, the National Wildlife Federation and Proyección Eco-Social Foundation organized four workshops. The workshops aimed for participants to learn about the existing forums and agreements established to promote sustainability within the cattle sector, systemize regional perspectives, and create an enabling space for discussions around sustainability in the sector that will contribute to the creation of policies, strategies or new projects focused on sustainable cattle production.

The main themes of the workshops were:
1) Policies, projects and scenarios for the creation and support for zero deforestation and sustainable cattle production.
2) Presenting regional success stories and other geographically-localized experiences (Antioquia).
3) Financial and strategic collaboration opportunities for sustainable cattle projects.
4) Participatory workshop on the effects (environmental and social) of traditional cattle production at the regional level.

The workshops took place in the Casanare, Arauca, Caquetá and Meta Departments, which were selected based upon relevant factors, such as percentage of total livestock, rates of deforestation, participation in the regional roundtables for sustainable cattle, and other environmental factors such as presence of important non-forest ecosystems.

The workshops addressed themes such as: success stories of sustainable cattle production projects, silvopastoral systems, collaboration and cooperation, zero deforestation agreements, best practice sustainable cattle policies, and others.

Read full report: Colombian Regional Cattle Workshop Summary