Mexico develops national indicators for sustainable livestock

José Manuel Palma García, a researcher from the University of Colima, is collaborating with specialists and livestock sector representatives to develop the National Sustainable Livestock Strategy in Mexico. The initiative aims to establish a set of understandable and measurable indicators to evaluate social, economic, productive, and environmental practices in bovine farming.

The project has progressed through three workshops. The first, held in Mexico City with the Mexican College of Livestock Agroforestry, defined sustainable bovine livestock and established eight categories of indicators. A second meeting in the capital included over 45 representatives from government institutions, international organizations, livestock groups, and financing entities, resulting in approximately 150 proposed indicators.

A third workshop took place on September 17 and 18 at Cuauhtémoc University in Guadalajara. The goal of this session was to refine the list into a more manageable selection, ensuring that the evaluation process does not impose an excessive administrative burden on producers while still effectively characterizing sustainable practices.