{"id":50389657,"date":"2024-02-23T13:32:39","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T13:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogochino.net\/?p=389657"},"modified":"2024-04-11T14:51:39","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T14:51:39","slug":"389657-argentina-cattle-ranchers-search-for-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/food\/389657-argentina-cattle-ranchers-search-for-sustainability\/","title":{"rendered":"In Argentina\u2019s Gran Chaco, cattle farmers search for sustainability"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">For more than two decades, Abel Menapace and his son Leandro have practised a form of livestock farming that seeks balance with the environment in Argentina\u2019s Gran Chaco region. Both agricultural engineers, the pair run a farm in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/365369034_LA_CUNA_BOSCOSA_SANTAFESINA_Y_SU_IMPORTANCIA_EN_LA_CONSERVACION_DE_LOS_MEDIANOS_Y_GRANDES_MAMIFEROS_CHAQUENOS_Nuevas_especies_y_registros_novedosos_para_la_provincia_de_Santa_Fe_Argentina\">Cu\u00f1a Boscosa<\/a> ecoregion, which occupies more than one million hectares in the far north of the province of Santa Fe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This family project combines management of native forests with livestock production, aiming to respect biodiversity, and is named San Francisco de As\u00eds, after the 12th-century monk Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Local tree species intermingle here, including red and white quebracho and carob. Its biodiversity has attracted and welcomed the region\u2019s fauna: some 200 species of birds share space and food with foxes, coypu, \u00f1andus and armadillos, among many others. \u201cDiversity is life, it is the opposite of monoculture,\u201d says Abel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Located some 20 kilometres from the town of Malabrigo, itself some 280 kilometres north of the provincial capital, Santa Fe, the Menapace farm is an example of the successful integration of livestock farming and forests. Not only has the farm managed to transform its previously depleted soils, but it has also reportedly helped to turn the 214-hectare site into a huge carbon store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-story-image aligncenter block--story-image block--story-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--story-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--story-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/carob-tree-thorns_sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/carob-tree-thorns_sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/carob-tree-thorns_sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/carob-tree-thorns_sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1400x935.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/carob-tree-thorns_sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1800x1202.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/carob-tree-thorns_sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 999px) 1024px, (max-width: 1400px) 1400px, (max-width: 2000px) 2000px, 2560px\" alt=\"a hand touching a branch\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--story-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--story-image__caption\">A red quebracho tree on the Menapace farm bears thorns, which are lost as the tree grows. The family say that each component of the ecosystem they manage fulfils a function. (Image: Celina Mutti Lovera)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/carob-tree-thorns_sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1709\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-role-of-native-forests\">The role of native forests<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Native forests are providers of essential ecosystem services for humans and other species. They contribute to climate change mitigation, help regulate water resources, provide livelihood options for local communities, and enhance food security and regional economic development. Argentina has an area of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.argentina.gob.ar\/noticias\/se-presento-el-segundo-inventario-nacional-de-bosques-nativos-de-argentina\">47.9 million<\/a> hectares of native forest, which are protected under the country\u2019s 2007 Forest Law that provides zoning for the uses of forests to balance production needs and nature conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The province of Santa Fe covers approximately 13 million hectares, of which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crea.org.ar\/mapalegal\/otbn\/santa-fe\">1.7 million<\/a> is said to be native forest, protected by this law: 372,687 hectares are under category I or \u201cred\u201d, which requires strict conservation that prohibits any changes in land use; and 1.3 million hectares under category II or \u201cyellow\u201d, allowing for productive activities deemed compatible with the care of nature. The Menapace farm is located on category II land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the beginning of the 20th century, the exploitation of northern Santa Fe\u2019s forest resources was dominated by British companies. Referred to as the era of \u201cLa Forestal\u201d, after a prominent British firm of the time, this period of extractive activity forever changed the natural and social map of the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This process was portrayed in detail in a 1965 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.anred.org\/2021\/01\/29\/la-forestal-y-los-esclavos-del-quebracho\/\">book<\/a> by Santa Fe-born writer Gast\u00f3n Gori. He recounts how an enormous forest of \u201cred gold\u201d that covered more than 2 million hectares was cut down with axes and machetes to satisfy international markets, seeking tannin for tanneries and logs to make railway sleepers or posts. The scars of the early exploitation to which its ecosystems were subjected are still visible in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-story-image aligncenter block--story-image block--story-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--story-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--story-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/agricultural_engineer_Abel-Menapace_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/agricultural_engineer_Abel-Menapace_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/agricultural_engineer_Abel-Menapace_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/agricultural_engineer_Abel-Menapace_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1400x935.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/agricultural_engineer_Abel-Menapace_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1800x1202.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/agricultural_engineer_Abel-Menapace_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 999px) 1024px, (max-width: 1400px) 1400px, (max-width: 2000px) 2000px, 2560px\" alt=\"a man standing in a forest clearing\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--story-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--story-image__caption\">Agronomist Abel Menapace in one of his fields surrounded by forest. He says his job is to make the most of what the forest can offer, and integrate his cattle into this ecosystem. (Image: Celina Mutti Lovera)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/agricultural_engineer_Abel-Menapace_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1709\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The Menapace establishment is an example of sustainable production with links to its community \u2013 the land is open to researchers, civil organisations, schools and universities. Abel has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.malabrigonoticias.com.ar\/2023\/09\/presentaron-el-libro-bosque-pastoril\/\">explained<\/a> the farm\u2019s ethos in his own book, which bring together years of work: \u201cThe idea is to give value to the native forest\u2019s offer, its income in wood, fruit, fodder, honey flowers, medicinal essences, dyes, environments for walks, environmental services and at the same time, in an integrated way and in the same ecosystem, introduce cattle, improving the environment and obtaining an income from them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More forest, fewer emissions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sixty percent of the native forests in Santa Fe\u2019s Cu\u00f1a Boscosa is classed as being fairly or poorly suited to livestock, while the rest is said to be suitable. This means that between three and five hectares are needed per cow in production, explains agronomist Germ\u00e1n Castro. He works at one of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology\u2019s experimental stations, located 40 km south of the city of Reconquista, Santa Fe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Menapaces managed to reverse this trend: today, 70% of their farmland is classed as being either good or very good for keeping livestock, while the remaining 30% serves as a refuge for biodiversity. The ratio of animals per hectare never exceeds 1:1, which means that at peak times they can manage more than 150 head of cattle; at the beginning of 2024, after three years of <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/agriculture\/370215-la-nina-ends-but-drought-exposes-deeper-problems-for-argentina\/\">severe drought<\/a>, the stock was halved to about 75.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"wp-block-cd-related-news alignright block--related-news loading\" data-post-id=\"50370215\"><div class=\"block--related-news__image\"><\/div><div class=\"block--related-news__content\"><span class=\"block--related-news__heading\">Recommended<\/span><span class=\"block--related-news__title\"><\/span><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>The key word here is management, explains Abel. First, they recognised that they had to intervene in the forest to keep it active, but that intervention should be based on respecting native species. \u201cEach component of the ecosystem fulfils a function,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These efforts are key to reducing the impact of livestock as a pollutant source: according to Argentina\u2019s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2021, the agriculture, livestock and forestry sector accounts for <a href=\"https:\/\/inventariogei.ambiente.gob.ar\/files\/Booklet%20INGEI%202022%20digital.pdf\">39%<\/a> of Argentina\u2019s emissions. If broken down into sub-sectors, livestock farming emerges as the activity with the highest emissions, representing 22.2% \u2013 almost twice as much as the next sub-sector, transport (13.9%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both the conservation of important portions of native biodiversity and the type of grazing used mean that the Menapace farm is likely to have comparatively lower greenhouse gas emissions than many other livestock operations, with its lands also contributing to carbon sequestration. This could help it to be more in line with Argentina\u2019s long-term climate strategy, through which the country has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-story-image aligncenter block--story-image block--story-image--wide\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--story-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--story-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cows-forest-sustainable-livestock-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cows-forest-sustainable-livestock-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cows-forest-sustainable-livestock-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cows-forest-sustainable-livestock-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1400x935.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cows-forest-sustainable-livestock-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1800x1202.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cows-forest-sustainable-livestock-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 999px) 1024px, (max-width: 1400px) 1400px, (max-width: 2000px) 2000px, 2560px\" alt=\"a group of cows in a grassy area\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--story-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--story-image__caption\">Seventy percent of the Menapace\u2019s farmland is classed as being either good or very good for keeping livestock, while the remaining 30% serves as a refuge for biodiversity (Image: Celina Mutti Lovera)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cows-forest-sustainable-livestock-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1709\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you walk through the field you see the carbon, it&#8217;s there in front of your eyes, in the mulch [a layer of organic matter formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter], in the leaves, in the trunks, in the birds and mammals. It\u2019s in the whole system and in the diversity that explodes everywhere,\u201d says Castro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Observation and handling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Key to the Menapace farm\u2019s approach to production is forest management with integrated livestock \u2013 known in the local industry by its initials <a href=\"https:\/\/www.argentina.gob.ar\/ambiente\/bosques\/ganaderia-integrada\">MBGI<\/a> \u2013 a sustainable production strategy used on some farms in Argentina that integrates livestock and forestry activities. Under this method, cows can contribute in some way to ecosystem regeneration rather than just degradation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-pull-quote block--pull-quote\"><div class=\"block--pull-quote__wrapper\"><blockquote class=\"block--pull-quote__quote\">Here, livestock production is a consequence and not an objective <\/blockquote><cite class=\"block--pull-quote__cite\">Abel Menapace, livestock farmer<\/cite><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>MBGI integrates native forest into its production \u201cas an agent providing ecosystem services\u201d such as water regulation, soil and wildlife conservation and carbon sequestration, Castro explains. The National Institute of Agricultural Technology regularly monitors the Menapaces\u2019 fields to establish the impact of these practices on livestock emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abel and Leandro Menapace describe the forest as an ecosystem with many components, each of which has a function. If the forest is healthy, the whole system is balanced. \u201cHere livestock production is a consequence and not an objective, we work as a function of the whole ecosystem, not focused on the cow,\u201d Abel says. One of the key elements of their approach is rotational grazing, which at the Menapace farm takes place across 90 plots. Each day, the cows move from one plot to another, finding fresh feed and allowing the recovery of the other plots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-story-image aligncenter block--story-image block--story-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--story-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--story-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hand-on-tree-sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hand-on-tree-sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hand-on-tree-sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hand-on-tree-sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1400x935.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hand-on-tree-sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1800x1202.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hand-on-tree-sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 999px) 1024px, (max-width: 1400px) 1400px, (max-width: 2000px) 2000px, 2560px\" alt=\"a hand on a tree\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--story-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--story-image__caption\">The Menapace\u2019s farm integrates livestock and forestry activities. Under this method, cows can contribute to ecosystem regeneration rather than just degradation. (Image: Celina Mutti Lovera)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hand-on-tree-sustainable-cattle-farming_Gran-Chaco_Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1709\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Fernando Aiello, an agricultural sciences researcher and lecturer at Santa Fe\u2019s Universidad Nacional del Litoral who specialises in natural grassland management, is familiar with the Menapaces\u2019 experience. \u201cThey do very interesting work through rotational grazing, thanks to which they were able to recover winter species that grow under the forest trees, native forage species [plants eaten by livestock], something rare in forests where summer pastures are favoured,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Climate resilience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Production and conservation go well together on the Menapace farm, coexisting and enhancing each other, according to Aiello. He says rotational grazing makes it possible to strengthen the production system in the face of extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Central Argentina experienced three consecutive years of water deficits between 2020 and 2023 driven by the <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/agriculture\/370215-la-nina-ends-but-drought-exposes-deeper-problems-for-argentina\/\">La Ni\u00f1a climate phenomenon<\/a>. Despite this, the Menapaces\u2019 farm was able to maintain soil fertility thanks to grass and mulch cover, as well as efficient water use. \u201cThey had very positive results compared to their neighbours,\u201d says Aiello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-story-image aligncenter block--story-image block--story-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--story-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--story-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cow_forest_San-Francisco-de-Asis-farm_Gran-Chaco-Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cow_forest_San-Francisco-de-Asis-farm_Gran-Chaco-Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cow_forest_San-Francisco-de-Asis-farm_Gran-Chaco-Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cow_forest_San-Francisco-de-Asis-farm_Gran-Chaco-Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1400x934.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cow_forest_San-Francisco-de-Asis-farm_Gran-Chaco-Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera-1800x1200.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cow_forest_San-Francisco-de-Asis-farm_Gran-Chaco-Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 999px) 1024px, (max-width: 1400px) 1400px, (max-width: 2000px) 2000px, 2560px\" alt=\"Cows standing in a grassy woodland\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--story-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--story-image__caption\">A cow in the middle of a forest area on the San Francisco de As\u00eds farm. Each day, the cows move from one plot to another, finding fresh feed and allowing the recovery of the other plots. (Image: Celina Mutti Lovera)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cow_forest_San-Francisco-de-Asis-farm_Gran-Chaco-Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1707\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe accumulation of good practices based on rotational grazing and the observation of forage species and trees over time have allowed Abel and Leandro to build a very healthy, stable and reliable system, which is essential in a scenario of climate change where excess water and prolonged droughts alternate,\u201d adds the specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of emissions, by prioritising the presence of actively growing young and adult trees over more mature trees, in addition to winter pastures, these farmers have been able to sustain high photosynthetic activity all year round. \u201cIt\u2019s a very favourable situation for carbon sequestration. They have a lot of photosynthetic activity; the field is always green and active and that is very much linked to carbon sequestration,\u201d says Aiello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-pull-quote block--pull-quote\"><div class=\"block--pull-quote__wrapper\"><blockquote class=\"block--pull-quote__quote\">Livestock can be an emitter of greenhouse gases, or it can help capture them. It all depends on how it is done<\/blockquote><cite class=\"block--pull-quote__cite\">Germ\u00e1n Castro, agronomist<\/cite><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For Castro, although he does not yet have the carbon capture data for the Menapaces, he says he has no doubt that it is at least double that which is emitted: \u201cEach hectare has about 100 trees, more than 400 bushes, abundant pasture. All this is pure carbon capture.\u201d He adds that the soil of the farm is an enormous reservoir of carbon as it continually receives a large amount of organic matter. \u201cLivestock can be an emitter of greenhouse gases, or it can help capture them. It all depends on how it is done,\u201d Castro claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though the degree to which livestock grazing can assist carbon capture in pastures is still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturebasedsolutionsinitiative.org\/news\/restatement_grazing\">the subject of debate among scientists<\/a>, the Menapace family\u2019s efforts to pursue more sustainable practices are being welcomed and recognised as a positive step in the right direction. With Argentina facing a need to green its agriculture in the long term, their work may provide useful lessons to the wider industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article was produced with the support of the Net Zero Argentina Project by the Earth Journalism Network, Periodistas por el Planeta, Claves21 and Banco de Bosques.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A family farm in Santa Fe aims to raise livestock in balance with the environment, and could provide lessons for the industry<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50000190,"featured_media":50389679,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[763],"tags":[50029579,537,561],"hashtags":[],"country":[50000020],"class_list":["post-50389657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","tag-beef","tag-ecosystems","tag-livestock","country-argentina"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>In Argentina\u2019s Gran Chaco, cattle farmers search for sustainability | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Santa Fe farm aims to practise a form of livestock farming that balances with the environment, and could provide lessons for the industry\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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