Spatio-temporal dynamics of the dual-purpose cattle value chain in the Colombian Amazon

The cattle sector plays an important role in the economy of the Caquetá department, located in the Colombian Amazon. However, the predominantly extensive production system is associated with low productivity and negative environmental impacts, such as land degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, and deforestation. Efforts to introduce improved practices (e.g., improved forages or silvopastoral systems) have been made over the last decades, but adoption rates remain low. Though several studies have analyzed the cattle value chain (VC) to enhance the understanding of adoption barriers, the heterogeneity of farmers has been considered only marginally when trying to explain their adoption behavior. To narrow this knowledge gap, a VC analysis was carried out in March 2022, using semistructured interviews with key informants. Four types of cattle farmers were identified to operate along a gradient reaching from the Andean foothill in the department’s northwest to the deforestation frontier in the southeast. While specialized and dual-purpose milk farms are located close to the foothill, dual-purpose cheese and cattle fattening farms operate closer to the deforestation frontier. The associated spatio-temporal dynamics seem to be associated with differences in infrastructure, access to inputs and services, and the presence of armed groups. The observed enabling environment gradient is important for a more context-specific design of policies and interventions aimed at supporting the adoption of sustainably intensified cattle production systems, while needs and preferences of the heterogenous farmer groups should be further researched.