Cattle farming in South American temperate grasslands: an integrated assessment of ecosystem services

Cattle farming is a major contributor to climate change, air pollution, soil degradation and biodiversity loss. Despite the high environmental impact of cattle farming at global scales, there are significant differences in production systems between and within regions. The Río de la Plata grassland region of South America is one of the most biodiverse grassland areas in the world that has been traditionally devoted to beef and sheep meat production in extensive grazing systems. Here, the sustainable production of cattle can contribute to food security and, at the same time, to preserve the ecosystem services (ES) provided by native grasslands. However, the direct and indirect benefits obtained by human societies from ecosystems are often not considered in decision-making, and the economic consequences of ecosystem degradation are usually underestimated. Moreover, the role that producers and policies can play in the transition towards sustainable cattle farming systems that enhance ecosystem services remains poorly understood. This PhD project aims to assess ecosystem services in cattle farming systems on South American temperate grasslands by integrating economic and agroecological perspectives. For this, I will address four specific objectives, using Uruguay as a case study: (1) assess the ES provided by native grasslands within cattle farming systems; (2) estimate the economic value of grassland ES within cattle farming systems; (3) evaluate producers’ perceptions on the incentives to enhance grassland ES; and (4) analyse the effect of policies on grassland ES.