Estimation of Environmental Indicators in High Mountain Cattle Ranching Agroecosystems

Raúl Andrés Molina Benavides (), Rómulo Campos Gaona, Mauricio Vélez Terranova, Alberto Stanislao Atzori, David Calero Quintero and Hugo Sánchez Guerrero
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Raúl Andrés Molina Benavides: Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Palmira, Palmira 763531, Colombia
Rómulo Campos Gaona: Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Palmira, Palmira 763531, Colombia
Mauricio Vélez Terranova: Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Palmira, Palmira 763531, Colombia
Alberto Stanislao Atzori: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
David Calero Quintero: Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Palmira, Palmira 763531, Colombia
Hugo Sánchez Guerrero: Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Palmira, Palmira 763531, Colombia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: The objective of this study was to analyze soil organic carbon (SOC) and environmental footprints—water and carbon—in an area of livestock intervention located in the high tropics. The work was conducted in La Nevera, Colombia, 03°33′460″ N–76°06’278″ W and 03°31′405″ N–76°01’804″ W, between 2700 and 3300 AMSL. Estimates of soil organic carbon (t SOC/ha), carbon footprint (kg CO 2 eq/kg of product generated), and water footprint (m 3 of water per kg of primary product) were made. The results obtained were: soil organic carbon for the forest cover was 237,491.91 tons (33 t SOC/ha) for an average bulk density of 0.46 (g/cm 3 ) at a depth of 10 cm. For vegetation cover, the average amount of SOC was 52,281.22 tons (25 t SOC/ha). The greenhouse gases emitted by livestock activity were estimated at 2,119,416.29 kg CO 2 eq/year, with an emission intensity for milk production of 2.77 kg CO 2 eq/kg and 34.71 kg CO 2 eq/kg for meat. The cattle farming activity consumed 1,909,430.83 m 3 per year, with a water footprint of 2.5 m 3 /kg of milk produced and 35 m 3 /kg of meat. Given the negative impact on environmental resources and the low biological efficiency, it is necessary to intervene in livestock production systems.

Keywords: soil organic carbon; cattle; water footprint; emission intensity; high tropics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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