A system´s perspective on adoption barriers for the sustainable intensification of cattle husbandry in the Colombian Amazon

The sustainable intensification of cattle husbandry systems has become a core strategy of Colombia´s Government to achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris agreement and to contribute towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The potential of sustainable intensification to address challenges associated with extensive cattle husbandry systems, such as low productivity, deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and land degradations, has been widely researched and demonstrated, but adoption levels of improved production practices remain at a low level. Focusing on the Amazon region, this research aims at addressing these knowledge gaps by taking a system´s perspective to analyse adoption barriers. An initial exploratory study using the value chain approach was carried out to improve the understanding of the VC structure and dynamics and to facilitate the pre-selection of attributes and adoption-relevant variable for a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE). By means of the DCE, preferences and willingness to pay of cattle farmers in the Caquetá department will be estimated for individual components constituting alternative sustainable intensification technology packages. In addition, a Social Network Analysis will be carried out to improve the understanding of spatial differences in information exchange and technology adoption behavior of cattle farmers in Caquetá.

 

Contact: M.Sc. Anja Lienert