SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable livestock.On November 6, the Congress “Sustainable Livestock and its Relationship with Forests” was held in Paraguay, with representatives from the United Nations (UN) and 11 Latin American countries. The UN called for the promotion of a “circular bioeconomy,” to improve the efficiency of livestock production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 percent. At the end of the Congress, Paraguay pledged to apply a special tax to reward producers who modify their practices. More countries in the region are expected to make similar commitments in the coming months, in line with UN recommendations.

The congress held in Paraguay aimed to promote new practices in the livestock sector, with a view to reducing the “ecological footprint” of this activity. The representative of the United Nations Program for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (UN REDD) José Carlos Fernández explained that “14.5 percent of greenhouse gases worldwide are generated by this practice” and assured that “with modifications in the productive process” these emissions could be cut by up to 30 percent.

For his part, the representative of the UN Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock, Eduardo Arce, indicated that sustainability is based on improving the productive efficiency of the entire value chain of livestock products, in the reduction of emissions and the promotion of a ‘circular bioeconomy’.

Next steps

Following the congress, Paraguay committed to implementing a “carbon credit,” a system that will economically penalize the most polluting companies. These resources will be reallocated to farmers who promote sustainable practices, with a view to encouraging sustainable production. It is expected that these measures will be replicated in other parts of the continent in the coming months.