Fruitful controversies in sustainable livestock production: beyond the intensive versus extensive livestock polarization in nonforest ecosystems

Abstract

Land-use changes, mainly driven by the advancement of large-scale soybean monocultures over extensive livestock production systems, have fostered land concentration in the agribusiness sector and an increase of grain-finished livestock production systems (feedlots). While it is recognized that both—intensive (grain-finished) and extensive (grass-finished)—livestock production systems are affected by climate change while contributing to it through greenhouse emissions, their distinct socio-environmental impacts must be better understood. Through a mix of literature review and the results of original field research in the grasslands of Argentina and Uruguay, this chapter aims at overcoming the frequently polarizing discourses generated by the “extensive versus intensive” beef production debate by learning from the analysis of fruitful controversies. The authors start by analyzing how feedlots are frequently less vulnerable to climatic change, while they present a greater risk to water quality due to the increased volume of waste and manure management practices. Grain-finished beef systems, on the other hand, may contribute to the reduction of air quality through the emissions of particulate substances and gases, while they may present negative environmental impacts, as they require longer finishing periods (10–12 months) and more animals and land to produce the same quantity (not necessarily quality) of beef. After critically assessing the socio-environmental impacts of both production systems in their complexity, the chapter will end with a series of convergent, evidence-based recommendations to design sustainable and socio-environmentally friendly livestock production solutions.