Presentation by Muhammad Ibrahim, Director, Livestock and Environmental Management Program, CATIE, Costa Rica, at the 2012 Agriculture and Rural Development Day (ARDD) in Rio de Janiero, Learning Event No. 3, Session 2: Climate-smart silvopastoral systems for a green livestock economy. http://www.agricultureday.org

1. Climate-smart silvopastoral systems for a green livestock economy
Muhammad Ibrahim, Director, Livestock and Environmental Management Program, CATIE, Costa
Rica
In many countries of Latin America and other regions, livestock production is important for the
agricultural economy and livelihoods of rural families. However, traditional production systems
based on grass monoculture pastures are very vulnerable to climate change, raising the prospect
of significant economic losses and environmental degradation. At the same time, livestock systems
have been criticized for their contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Various organizations, including CATIE, CIAT, and Embrapa, have been working on the
development of climate-smart silvopastoral systems for sustainable cattle production. These
systems, involving the integration of trees and/or shrubs with pastures and animals, are able to
increase carrying capacity and animal productivity (by more than 40%), while also enhancing
resilience to climate change, as measured in stability of production and income.
The use of improved forages in silvopastoral systems for feeding cattle makes possible significant
reductions in emissions of methane during enteric fermentation and in CO2 equivalent per
kilogram of meat or milk produced in comparison with traditional pasture systems. A life cycle
assessment conducted on dairy farms in Costa Rica measured a carbon footprint of 2.2 kg of CO2
equivalent per kilogram of milk (corrected for fat) on traditional dairy farms, compared to just 1.1
kg on farms with silvopastoral systems.
Silvopastoral systems are not only important for reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also
contribute to sequestering significant amounts of carbon (below and above ground) and therefore
are important land-use practices for offsetting emissions (e.g., from enteric fermentation) and
thus mitigating climate change.
Livestock producers’ organisations and cooperatives in Costa Rica have recently been promoting
silvopastoral systems for the development of carbon-neutral livestock products (meat and milk),
and farmers have been investing in expanding silvopastoral systems. A framework is presented for
analyzing trade-offs between economic efficiency and low- emission development of livestock
systems, with the aim of identifying economic frontiers for sustainable, climate-smart silvopastoral
systems.