Colombian breakthrough in sustainable livestock farming: Pioneering study estimates carbon emissions from bovine genetics

May 12, 2026, Palmira, Colombia. A partnership of more than six years between science and the livestock sector continues to deliver results in the Colombian Orinoquía region. In a groundbreaking achievement at the global level, researchers from the Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT and Hacienda San José successfully estimated, with a high degree of precision, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with bovine genetic resources—a factor that had never been included in traditional life cycle assessment (LCA) models. 

Bovine genetic resources represent the livestock sector’s “genetic capital”: the inherited traits that determine how animals grow, produce, and adapt to their environment. These resources include semen straws, embryos, and breeding animals. Although they are the starting point of the entire production chain, until now the amount of CO₂ generated in producing them had never been quantified. 

Previously unavailable figures 

Published in The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, the study introduces a new biophysical allocation method that distributes emissions among the different products generated on a cattle farm—including calves, heifers, breeding bulls, and cull animals—according to their energy requirements and growth stages, providing a much fairer and more accurate calculation than traditional methodologies. In addition, the study reveals for the first time that producing a single bovine embryo can generate up to 37.5 kg of CO₂ equivalent, while a semen straw can generate up to 1.2 kg of CO₂ equivalent. 

Elite genetics as a climate tool 

One of the study’s most significant findings is that the Short-Cycle Nelore breed used at HSJ emits 17% fewer greenhouse gases per kilogram of live weight than conventional Brahman cattle. This performance, however, cannot be attributed entirely to genetics: it is the result of an integrated production system that combines elite genetics, rotational grazing, and improved pastures adapted to the nutritional requirements of the animals. 

“This methodology comes at a crucial moment for the livestock sector, which is facing increasing pressure to reduce emissions and demonstrate sustainability performance. The tool will enable breeding centers, livestock associations, and production companies to report their carbon footprints more accurately, differentiate cattle breeds with superior climate performance, and design genetic improvement programs that accelerate the transition toward more sustainable and competitive livestock systems. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the use of improved genetic resources, both in pastures and cattle breeds, can increase farm productivity while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions. By incorporating these resources into life cycle assessment, we improve the way we understand and measure the climate impact of livestock production,”

 said Jacobo Arango, Leader of the Tropical Forages Program at the Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT. 

A partnership that continues to deliver results 

This breakthrough builds on the study published in 2022 in Frontiers in Climate, which concluded that improved pastures (Urochloa humidicola) in the tropical savannas of Vichada can sequester up to 2.5 tons of CO₂ per hectare per year, offsetting up to three times the emissions generated by the cattle themselves. 

“Collaboration between industry and science is essential to transparently quantify, directly from the field, the climate benefits of investments in sustainable livestock production. This study in particular enabled us to identify climate-smart breeds such as the certified Short-Cycle Nelore used on our farm, which produces up to 17% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than Brahman cattle due to its accelerated growth and reproductive performance. At Hacienda San José, we take a holistic approach to sustainability that includes animal welfare, the preservation of native forests and wetlands, the elimination of annual savanna burning, and engagement with local communities through gender and education programs,” 

said Gabriel Jaramillo, Manager of Hacienda San José. 

A Colombian contribution to the global climate agenda 

At a time when reducing emissions from the livestock sector is a global priority to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, this methodology provides a robust and replicable tool that can be adopted by breeding centers, livestock associations, and production companies worldwide to design genetic improvement strategies with climate benefits from the outset. 

Read the article 

Matiz-Rubio, N., Ruden, A., González-Quintero, R. et al. Toward climate-smart beef cattle: quantifying emissions from genetic resources. Int J Life Cycle Assess 31, 45 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-026-02572-w 

About Hacienda San José 

Hacienda San José is a sustainable livestock company recognized for its efficiency, built upon the use and best management practices of improved tropical pastures, cattle nutrition, grazing management, Short-Cycle Nelore genetics, and animal welfare. The company offers a profitable technological package that serves as a platform for small-, medium-, and large-scale livestock producers across the Colombian Llanos and the rest of the country.  

About the Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT 

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) deliver research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.