How can you invest sustainably in livestock production?

Livestock production is a vital source of food, income, and livelihoods for millions of people around the world. But it also has significant environmental and social impacts, such as greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, water pollution, animal welfare, and public health. How can you invest sustainably in livestock production, without compromising its economic viability and social benefits? Here are some tips to help you make informed and responsible decisions.

1 Assess your goals and risks

Before you invest in any livestock project, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and what challenges you might face. Do you want to increase your productivity, profitability, or market access? Do you want to diversify your income sources, reduce your dependence on external inputs, or enhance your resilience to shocks and stresses? Do you want to improve your environmental performance, social contribution, or animal welfare standards? Depending on your goals, you might need different types of investments, such as capital, technology, infrastructure, skills, or partnerships. You also need to consider the potential risks, such as market volatility, climate change, disease outbreaks, or regulatory changes, and how you can mitigate them.

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Mehmood Yousaf

Operations Manager at Valley Irrigation Pakistan (Pvt.Ltd) || Managing the maintenance and repair of Irrigation System || Collaborating with other departments to develop & implement strategies
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Invest sustainably in livestock production by supporting practices that prioritize animal welfare, minimize environmental impact, and promote responsible resource management. Choose investments in companies adopting ethical farming methods, such as pasture-raised or organic systems. Additionally, consider diversifying into alternative protein sources like plant-based or lab-grown options for a more sustainable investment portfolio in the evolving food industry.

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Tobenna Asomugha

Founder @ Casta Farms Limited | Accounting | Data Entry | CRM | Bookkeeping
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- In investing, one also needs to draw a sustainable way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so the enterprise won't contribute to the ozone layer depletion.

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John Hrenechen

Administrador e Contador | Professor Acadêmico | + 10 anos de experiência no Agronegócio | Profissional de Investimentos (Anbima)
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▪️ Definir Claramente os Objetivos de Investimento na Pecuária ▪️ Identificar Desafios e Metas Específicas ▪️ Avaliar Seus Objetivos, como Produtividade, Lucratividade ou Sustentabilidade Ambiental ▪️ Considerar a Diversificação de Fontes de Renda e a Redução da Dependência de Insumos Externos ▪️ Avaliar a Resiliência a Choques e Estresses no Setor Pecuário ▪️ Priorizar o Bem-Estar Animal e Contribuições Sociais ▪️ Analisar os Riscos Potenciais, como Volatilidade do Mercado, Mudanças Climáticas, Doenças e Regulamentações ▪️ Desenvolver Estratégias de Mitigação de Riscos Adequadas para seus Objetivos de Investimento

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2 Choose appropriate practices and technologies

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for sustainable livestock production. You need to choose the practices and technologies that suit your context, resources, and preferences. For example, you might opt for more efficient feed and water management, improved animal health and breeding, integrated crop-livestock systems, agroforestry, or organic farming. You might also adopt renewable energy sources, waste management systems, or carbon sequestration methods. Whatever you choose, make sure that it is compatible with your existing system, that it is cost-effective and scalable, and that it has positive impacts on the environment, society, and animals.

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Tobenna Asomugha

Founder @ Casta Farms Limited | Accounting | Data Entry | CRM | Bookkeeping
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- In addition to feed management, a farmer can actually have an in-house feeds production plant. This ensures consistent well and nutritious feeds are used on the livestock or fish.

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John Hrenechen

Administrador e Contador | Professor Acadêmico | + 10 anos de experiência no Agronegócio | Profissional de Investimentos (Anbima)
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▪️ Selecionar Práticas e Tecnologias Apropriadas para a Produção Pecuária Sustentável ▪️ Considerar o Contexto, Recursos e Preferências Individuais ▪️ Opções como Manejo Eficiente de Ração e Água, Saúde Animal, Agricultura Orgânica ou Agrofloresta ▪️ Avaliar a Viabilidade, Rentabilidade e Escalabilidade das Escolhas ▪️ Verificar a Compatibilidade com o Sistema Existente ▪️ Explorar Fontes de Energia Renovável, Gerenciamento de Resíduos e Sequestro de Carbono ▪️ Priorizar Impactos Positivos no Meio Ambiente, Sociedade e Bem-Estar Animal ▪️ Adaptar as Escolhas de Acordo com as Necessidades e Objetivos de Sustentabilidade da Produção Pecuária.

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3 Seek reliable information and guidance

Sustainable livestock production is a complex and dynamic field, and you might not have all the knowledge and skills you need to make sound decisions. That is why you should seek reliable information and guidance from various sources, such as research institutions, extension services, industry associations, or peer networks. You can also use tools and frameworks that help you assess your current situation, identify opportunities and gaps, and monitor and evaluate your progress. For example, you can use the Sustainable Livestock Management (SLM) Toolkit, developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which provides practical guidance on how to apply the principles of sustainability to your livestock operations.

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John Hrenechen

Administrador e Contador | Professor Acadêmico | + 10 anos de experiência no Agronegócio | Profissional de Investimentos (Anbima)
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▪️ Buscar Informações e Orientações Confiáveis para a Pecuária Sustentável ▪️ Acessar Fontes como Instituições de Pesquisa, Serviços de Extensão e Associações Industriais ▪️ Engajar-se em Redes de Pares e Compartilhar Experiências ▪️ Utilizar Ferramentas e Estruturas de Avaliação e Monitoramento ▪️ Exemplo de Recurso: Manejo Sustentável da Pecuária (SLM) Kit da FAO ▪️ Aplicar Princípios de Sustentabilidade em Suas Operações Pecuárias com Base em Orientações Práticas ▪️ Atualizar Constantemente seu Conhecimento e Abordagens com Base em Novas Descobertas e Melhores Práticas no Campo da Pecuária Sustentável.

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4 Engage with stakeholders and partners

Sustainable livestock production is not only about your own actions, but also about how you interact with others. You need to engage with stakeholders and partners who can support your goals, share your values, and influence your outcomes. These might include customers, suppliers, investors, lenders, regulators, policymakers, communities, or civil society organizations. You need to communicate clearly and transparently with them, listen to their feedback and expectations, and collaborate on common issues and opportunities. You might also join or form alliances or platforms that promote sustainable livestock production, such as the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL), which brings together diverse actors to foster dialogue, innovation, and action.

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Rodrigo Galli

Animal Scientist | Marketing & Sales | Animal Nutrition | Poultry 4.0 in focus | Speaker
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Implementing efficient sustainable animal production requires the involvement of various stakeholders throughout the chain. Beginning with animal nutrition, reducing protein in diets and using amino acids to provide species-specific nutrients helps prevent excess and reduces nutrient excretion. Maintaining animal health is crucial, achieved through conscious and sustainable alternatives such as probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, and other plant extracts to preserve health and avoid bacterial resistance. The use of renewable energy for bioclimatic control in animal farming is a growing option.

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5 Adapt and innovate

Sustainable livestock production is not a static or fixed state, but a continuous and adaptive process. You need to be flexible and responsive to the changing conditions and demands of your environment, market, and society. You need to learn from your successes and failures, and seek new ways to improve your performance and impact. You need to embrace innovation, not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of business models, policies, institutions, and behaviors. You need to be open to new opportunities and challenges, and ready to take calculated risks and experiment with new solutions.

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John Hrenechen

Administrador e Contador | Professor Acadêmico | + 10 anos de experiência no Agronegócio | Profissional de Investimentos (Anbima)
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▪️ A pecuária sustentável é um processo contínuo e adaptativo. ▪️ Flexibilidade e responsividade às mudanças são essenciais. ▪️ Aprender com sucessos e fracassos é parte do progresso. ▪️ Inovação é fundamental, não apenas em tecnologia, mas também em modelos de negócios, políticas e comportamentos. ▪️ Estar aberto a novas oportunidades e desafios é necessário. ▪️ Assumir riscos calculados e experimentar novas soluções é uma parte importante do processo de melhoria contínua na pecuária sustentável.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Julimar R.

Comercial | Analise de negocios | CRM |Engenheiro Agrônomo
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Investir neste ramo requer aspectos de qualidade no time operacional, colaboradores cada vez mais qualificados e que compreendam bem a importância de suas atividades para o sucesso do investimento. Dentro da porteira, direcionar o olhar para as pessoas é um bom guia para obter resultados positivos nesta cadeia.

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How can you invest sustainably in livestock production?

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1 Assess your goals and risks

2 Choose appropriate practices and technologies

3 Seek reliable information and guidance

4 Engage with stakeholders and partners

5 Adapt and innovate

6 Here’s what else to consider

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