Sustainable tropical dairy systems to contribute to food security in Colombia and Ecuador

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) advocates for animal-origin products with low carbon emissions, supporting nutrition and rural livelihoods. The project aims to enhance the productivity of tropical dairy systems in an eco-efficient manner, thereby contributing to food security in Cauca, Colombia, and Manabí, Ecuador. The tropical agro-environment fosters diverse productive alternatives and forage utilization for animal feed, making the livestock sector pivotal for economic and social welfare. However, it faces challenges such as climate change adaptation and mitigation. Consequently, there is a global trend towards eco-efficient livestock production strategies, aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and societal demands for cattle dietary strategies enhancing profitability and climate sustainability. The project will assess productive and environmental parameters on dairy farms in both regions, focusing on carbon and water footprints, ecosystem services, and nitrogen balance. Subsequently, it will develop animal feeding and nutrition strategies to enhance profitability, nutrition, rumen fermentation efficiency, milk quality, and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly enteric methane. The project will produce documents showcasing the nutritional, productive, and environmental characteristics of traditional and eco-efficient dairy herds, implementation of sustainable feeding strategies, and technology adoption via ICTs to foster climate-sustainable milk production in tropical regions. Climate-smart dairy production systems emerge as technological alternatives for sustainable, intensified, environmentally friendly, and economically viable cattle farming, enhancing food security in the target regions.