Carbon footprint and mitigation scenarios for Hacienda San Jose: Identifying opportunities and challenges using a consolidated modelling framework

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The Colombian beef sector is growing rapidly as a response to increased demand in the domestic as well as foreign markets. There is a growing body of evidence showing that growth in the beef sector is driving deforestation, as expansion of pastures results from encroachment on forest cover. Thus, negatively impacting the environment. Consumers may be more attracted to buying sustainably-produced beef, thereby avoiding deforestation and using low-carbon methods of production, at a competitive price.

However, consumers are often far removed from production zones such as the Orinoquia and may not recognize negative or positive environmental impacts of production systems. The World Bank project is thus testing the investment potential of a value chain finance approach. If transparent and reliable traceability systems can be put in place to earn consumers’ confidence that the beef they see in the supermarket has been produced in a climate-friendly manner, this can add value to the product and ultimately compensate actors along the value chain for what may be perceived as higher costs, and at the same time reduce the sector’s climate impact.

Hacienda San Jose (HSJ) is a flagship enterprise for cattle production in the Orinoquia region, under the department of Vichada in Colombia. Hacienda San Jose owns a combination of high-quality cattle genetics and improved pastures which increases efficiency in cattle ranching whilst reducing the climate impact of its operations.

The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) was commissioned by the World Bank to develop a life cycle-based model of HSJ to calculate the annual and cumulative climate impact of its operations for the period 2017 to 2023.

Arango, J.; Bastidas, M.; Costa Jr., C.; González, R.; Marin, A.; Matiz, N.; Ruden, A.; Villegas, D.

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