From evidence to action: A decision framework for valuing ecosystem services in tropical and sub-tropical cattle systems

Cattle production occupies nearly one-third of the world’s agricultural land, and the way these systems are managed can either degrade or enhance climate regulation, soil health, water resources, and biodiversity-linked ecosystem services. As governments, financial institutions, and development organizations increasingly seek to reward these environmental outcomes through payments, carbon markets, and sustainable supply-chain initiatives, there is growing demand for robust and credible estimates of ecosystem service values. Yet the principal challenge is not a lack of valuation methods; rather, it is the absence of a consistent framework for determining which ecosystem services should be valued, how they should be measured, and which values can legitimately be combined for decision-making. Drawing on a structured review of the evidence from tropical and subtropical livestock systems, this brief presents a practical five-step framework that guides users through the key decisions required before valuing or incentivizing ecosystem services. It identifies where monetary valuation is appropriate, where non-monetary approaches are more suitable, and where relatively modest investments in data collection could substantially improve valuation outcomes. A comprehensive methodological framework providing the underlying technical guidance is currently in preparation.