Sustainable cattle ranching transforming Colombia’s Orinoquía region

Sustainable cattle ranching transforming Colombia’s Orinoquía region

Colombia’s Orinoquía region, one of the country’s areas with the greatest productive potential, is proving that it is possible to produce more beef with a lower environmental impact. In the department of Vichada, Hacienda San José, with the support of the Tropical Forages Program of the Alianza Bioversity y CIAT, transformed a traditional cattle production system into a sustainable model that now increases productivity, reduces emissions, and strengthens resilience to climate change.

This region, which includes departments such as Arauca, Casanare, Meta, and Vichada, faces complex conditions: acidic soils, low fertility, high temperatures, and marked climate variability, with prolonged droughts and intense rainfall. In this context, practices such as savanna burning have been used for decades to renew pastures and sustain production during dry seasons. However, they have also been associated with soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and low productive efficiency.

The results reflected the limitations of this production model. In areas such as Vichada, nearly 18 hectares were needed to sustain a single animal, with average daily weight gains of only 540 grams and annual production close to 11 kilograms per hectare. This low efficiency not only restricted the productive potential of the region but also increased the vulnerability of livestock systems to climate change.

View original article