Can heritage Criollo cattle promote sustainability in a changing world

Authors: Spiegal, Sheri; Estell, Richard - Rick; Cibils, Andres; ARMSTRONG, EILEEN - Universidad De La República; BLANCO, LISADRO - Crilar-Conicet: Regional Research Centre La Rioja; Bestelmeyer, Brandon

Submitted to: Journal of Arid Environments
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/27/2023
Publication Date: 6/7/2023
Citation: Spiegal, S.A., Estell, R.E., Cibils, A., Armstrong, E., Blanco, L., Bestelmeyer, B.T. 2023. Can heritage Criollo cattle promote sustainability in a changing world? Journal of Arid Environments. 216. Article 104980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2023.104980.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2023.104980

Interpretive Summary: Perceptions about the role of ruminants in the sustainable management of arid lands varies among stakeholders. While some emphasize the crucial benefits for pastoral communities worldwide and the potential for management that conserves natural resources, others cannot overlook concerns about greenhouse gas emissions. No matter where they stand in this debate, most agree that innovative strategies that maximize both the health of arid lands and the welfare of pastoral peoples are needed, especially as climate change intensifies. This special issue focuses on the use of heritage Criollo cattle as a promising strategy for pastoral systems in arid lands of the Americas. Here we review the state of the knowledge about how heritage Criollo cattle perform in relation to seven indicators of sustainability for ranches: biodiversity, soil health, total factor productivity, commodity quality, stability of profits, flexibility, and community security. Research has pointed to a number of favorable sustainability outcomes, but new measurements are needed to understand tradeoffs. We will measure potential tradeoffs in a new phase of research across the Americas, designed so that ranchers and consumers can make informed decisions for a sustainable future on arid lands.

Technical Abstract: Perceptions about the role of ruminants in the sustainable management of arid lands varies among stakeholders. While some emphasize the crucial benefits for pastoral communities worldwide and the potential for management that conserves natural resources, others cannot overlook concerns about greenhouse gas emissions. No matter where they stand, most agree that innovative strategies that maximize both the health of arid lands and the welfare of pastoral peoples are needed, especially as climate change intensifies. This special issue focuses on the use of heritage Criollo cattle as a promising strategy for pastoral systems in arid lands of the Americas. Authors report on a decade of research about the use of Criollo cattle in modern ranching operations that typically use British cattle breeds, evaluating how their traits and foraging behaviors affect landscape distribution, heat tolerance, and diet selection. They go a step further and identify implications for adaptive capacity, sustainability, and resilience. Here we review the state of the knowledge about how heritage Criollo cattle perform in relation to seven indicators of sustainability for ranches of the Americas: biodiversity, soil health, total factor productivity, commodity quality, stability of profits, flexibility, and community security. Research has pointed to a number of favorable sustainability outcomes, but new measurements are needed to understand tradeoffs. We will measure potential tradeoffs in a new phase of research across the Americas, designed so that ranchers and consumers can make informed decisions for a sustainable future on arid lands.