CIAT Agrobiodiversity

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/56649

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Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: Collecting, Protecting, and Preparing Crop Wild Relatives (CWR Project). 2019 Technical and Financial Progress Report
(Report, 2019) Beebe, Stephen E.
The transformation and outcome of traditional cassava starch processing in Guangxi, China
(Journal Article, 2021-09-19) Dou, Guangyu; Wang, Xueting; Zhao, Bochao; Yuan, Xinan; Pan, Cenxuan; Tran, Thierry; Zellweger, Hannes; Zhu, Kesong; Guo, Yajing; Jie Yin, Wu Hao; Bai, Yanying
Conceptualizing sustainable diets in Vietnam: Minimum metrics and potential leverage points
(Journal Article, 2020-02) Mayton, Holly; Beal, Ty; Rubin, Julia; Sánchez, Alejandra; Heller, Martin; Hoey, Lesli; Haan, Stef de; Duong, Thanh Thi; Huynh, Tuyen; Burra, Dharani Dhar; Khoury, Colin K.; Jones, Andrew D.
Effect of dried leaves of Leucaena leucocephala on rumen fermentation, rumen microbial population, and enteric methane production in crossbred heifers
(Journal Article, 2020) Montoya Flores, María Denisse; Molina Botero, Isabel Cristina; Arango, Jacobo; Romano Muñoz, José Luis; Solorio-Sánchez, Francisco Javier; Aguilar-Pérez, Carlos Fernando; Ku-Vera, Juan Carlos
The effects of dietary inclusion of dried Leucaena leucocephala leaves (DLL) on nutrient digestibility, fermentation parameters, microbial rumen population, and production of enteric methane (CH4) in crossbred heifers were evaluated. Four heifers were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design consisting of four periods and four levels of inclusion of DLL: 0%, 12%, 24%, and 36% of dry matter (DM) intake. Results showed that DM intake (DMI), organic matter intake, and gross energy intake (GEI) were similar (p > 0.05) among treatments. Apparent digestibility of organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, and energy decreased with increasing levels of DLL in the ration (p < 0.05). In contrast, digestible crude protein (CP) was higher (p < 0.05) in treatments with 12% and 24% DM of DLL. The inclusion of DLL did not affect (p > 0.05) rumen pH and total volatile fatty acids. Rumen microbial community was not affected (p > 0.05) by treatment. There was a linear reduction (p < 0.05) in CH4 emissions as the levels of DLL in the ration were increased. Results of this study suggest that an inclusion of 12% DM of ration as DLL enhances digestible CP and reduces daily production of enteric CH4 without adversely affecting DMI, rumen microbial population, and fermentation parameters.
The Rural Household Multiple Indicator Survey, data from 13,310 farm households in 21 countries
(Journal Article, 2020) Wijk, Mark T. van; Hammond, James; Gorman, Leo; Adams, Sam; Ayantunde, Augustine A.; Baines, David; Bolliger, Adrian M.; Bosire, Caroline K.; Carpena, Pietro; Chesterman, Sabrina; Chinyophiro, Amon; Daudi, Happy; Dontsop Nguezet, Paul M.; Douxchamps, Sabine; Emera, Willy Desire; Fraval, Simon; Fonte, Steven; Hok, Lyda; Kiara, Henry K.; Kihoro, Esther; Korir, Luke; Lamanna, Christine; Long, Chau T. M.; Manyawu, Godfrey J.; Mehrabi, Zia; Mengistu, Dejene Kassahun; Mercado, Leida; Meza, Katherin; Mora, Vesalio; Mutemi, Jacob; Ng'endo, Mary; Njingulula, Paulin; Okafor, Chris; Pagella, Tim; Phengsavanh, Phonepaseuth; Rao, E.J.O.; Ritzema, Randall S.; Rosenstock, Todd S.; Skirrow, Tom; Steinke, Jonathan; Stirling, Clare; Suchini, Jose Gabriel; Teufel, Nils; Thorne, Peter J.; Vanek, Steven J.; Etten, Jacob van; Vanlauwe, Bernard; Wichern, Jannike; Yameogo, Viviane
The Rural Household Multiple Indicator Survey (RHoMIS) is a standardized farm household survey approach which collects information on 758 variables covering household demographics, farm area, crops grown and their production, livestock holdings and their production, agricultural product use and variables underlying standard socio-economic and food security indicators such as the Probability of Poverty Index, the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, and household dietary diversity. These variables are used to quantify more than 40 different indicators on farm and household characteristics, welfare, productivity, and economic performance. Between 2015 and the beginning of 2018, the survey instrument was applied in 21 countries in Central America, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The data presented here include the raw survey response data, the indicator calculation code, and the resulting indicator values. These data can be used to quantify on- and off-farm pathways to food security, diverse diets, and changes in poverty for rural smallholder farm households.
Potential for soil organic carbon sequestration in grasslands in East African countries: A review
(Journal Article, 2020-07) Tessema, Bezaye; Sommer, Rolf; Piikki, Kristin; Söderström, Mats; Namirembe, Sara; Notenbaert, An Maria Omer; Tamene, Lulseged D.; Nyawira, Sylvia; Paul, Birthe K.
Grasslands occupy almost half of the world's land area. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a key indicator of soil fertility and grassland productivity. Increasing SOC stocks (so‐called SOC sequestration) improves soil fertility and contributes to climate change mitigation by binding atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Grasslands constitute about 70% of all agricultural land, but their potential for SOC sequestration is largely unknown. This review paper quantitatively summarizes observation‐based studies on the SOC sequestration potential of grasslands in six East African countries (Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) and seeks to identify knowledge gaps related to SOC sequestration potential in the region. In the studies reviewed, SOC stocks in grasslands range from 3 to 93 Mg C/ha in the upper 0.3 m of the soil profile, while SOC sequestration rate ranges from 0.1 to 3.1 Mg C ha‐1 year‐1 under different management strategies. Grazing management is reported to have a considerable impact on SOC sequestration rates, and grassland regeneration and protection are recommended as options to stimulate SOC sequestration. However, a very limited number of relevant studies are available (n = 23) and there is a need for fundamental information on SOC sequestration potential in the region. The effectiveness of potential incentive mechanisms, such as payments for environmental services, to foster uptake of SOC‐enhancing practices should also be assessed.
Nanopore-based complete genome sequence of a Sri Lankan cassava mosaic virus (Geminivirus) strain from Thailand
(Journal Article, 2020-02-06) Leiva Sandoval, Ana Maria; Siriwan, Wanwisa; López Alvarez, Diana; Barrantes, Israel; Hemniam, Nuannapa; Saokham, Kingkan; Cuéllar, Wilmer Jose
Sri Lankan cassava mosaic virus is an emerging pathogen in Southeast Asia. Here, we report the complete genome of a Thai isolate obtained using Nanopore technology. The isolate was collected in 2019 from the northeastern province of Surin, soon after disease eradication was reported in the country.
Broom grass in Lao PDR: a market chain analysis in Luang Prabang province
(Journal Article, 2020-04-02) Pachas, Anibal Nahuel Alejandro; Newby, Jonathan Craig; Siphommachan, Phonekham; Sakanphet, Somphanh; Dieters, Mark J.
Genome-wide analyses of cassava Pathogenesis-related (PR) gene families reveal core transcriptome responses to whitefly infestation, salicylic acid and jasmonic acid
(Journal Article, 2020-12) Irigoyen, Maria L.; Garceau, Danielle C; Bohórquez Cháux, Adriana; Becerra López Lavelle, Luis Augusto; Pérez Fons, Laura; Fraser, Paul D.; Walling, Linda L.
Background: Whiteflies are a threat to cassava (Manihot esculenta), an important staple food in many tropical/ subtropical regions. Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating cassava’s responses against this pest is crucial for developing control strategies. Pathogenesis-related (PR) protein families are an integral part of plant immunity. With the availability of whole genome sequences, the annotation and expression programs of the full complement of PR genes in an organism can now be achieved. An understanding of the responses of the entire complement of PR genes during biotic stress and to the defense hormones, salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), is lacking. Here, we analyze the responses of cassava PR genes to whiteflies, SA, JA, and other biotic aggressors. Results: The cassava genome possesses 14 of the 17 plant PR families, with a total of 447 PR genes. A cassava PR gene nomenclature is proposed. Phylogenetic relatedness of cassava PR proteins to each other and to homologs in poplar, rice and Arabidopsis identified cassava-specific PR gene family expansions. The temporal programs of PR gene expression in response to the whitefly (Aleurotrachelus socialis) in four whitefly-susceptible cassava genotypes showed that 167 of the 447 PR genes were regulated after whitefly infestation. While the timing of PR gene expression varied, over 37% of whitefly-regulated PR genes were downregulated in all four genotypes. Notably, whitefly-responsive PR genes were largely coordinately regulated by SA and JA. The analysis of cassava PR gene expression in response to five other biotic stresses revealed a strong positive correlation between whitefly and Xanthomonas axonopodis and Cassava Brown Streak Virus responses and negative correlations between whitefly and Cassava Mosaic Virus responses. Finally, certain associations between PR genes in cassava expansions and response to biotic stresses were observed among PR families. Conclusions: This study represents the first genome-wide characterization of PR genes in cassava. PR gene responses to six biotic stresses and to SA and JA are demonstrably different to other angiosperms. We propose that our approach could be applied in other species to fully understand PR gene regulation by pathogens, pests and the canonical defense hormones SA and JA.
Expression of the CCCH-tandem zinc finger protein gene OsTZF5 under a stress-inducible promoter mitigates the effect of drought stress on rice grain yield under field conditions
(Journal Article, 2020-08) Selvaraj, Michael Gomez; Jan, Asad; Ishizaki, Takuma; Valencia Ortiz, Milton Orlando; Dedicova, Beata; Maruyama, Kyonoshin; Ogata, Takuya; Todaka, Daisuke; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko; Nakashima, Kazuo; Ishitani, Manabu
Increasing drought resistance without sacrificing grain yield remains an ongoing challenge in crop improvement. In this study, we report that Oryza sativa CCCH‐tandem zinc finger protein 5 (OsTZF5) can confer drought resistance and increase grain yield in transgenic rice plants. Expression of OsTZF5 was induced by abscisic acid, dehydration and cold stress. Upon stress, OsTZF5‐GFP localized to the cytoplasm and cytoplasmic foci. Transgenic rice plants overexpressing OsTZF5 under the constitutive maize ubiquitin promoter exhibited improved survival under drought but also growth retardation. By introducing OsTZF5 behind the stress‐responsive OsNAC6 promoter in two commercial upland cultivars, Curinga and NERICA4, we obtained transgenic plants that showed no growth retardation. Moreover, these plants exhibited significantly increased grain yield compared to non‐transgenic cultivars in different confined field drought environments. Physiological analysis indicated that OsTZF5 promoted both drought tolerance and drought avoidance. Collectively, our results provide strong evidence that OsTZF5 is a useful biotechnological tool to minimize yield losses in rice grown under drought conditions.
Improving African bean productivity in a changing global environment
(Journal Article, 2020-08) Taba-Morales, Gebel; Hyman, Glenn G.; Rubiano Mejía, Jorge Eliécer; Castro-Llanos, Fabio Alexander; Beebe, Stephen E.; Rubyogo, Jean-Claude; Katungi, Enid M.; Buruchara, Robin Arani
Adaptation of common bean lines to high temperature conditions: genotypic differences in phenological and agronomic performance
(Journal Article, 2020-02) Suárez Salazar, Juan Carlos; Polanía, José; Contreras Bastidas, Amara Tatiana; Rodríguez Suárez, Leonardo; Machado Cuellar, Leidy; Ordoñez Espinosa, Claudia Mercedes; Beebe, Stephen E.; Rao, Idupulapati M.
The common bean is the most important legume for human consumption and is grown in areas under conditions of varied rainfall and temperature that limit its yield. The objective of the present study was to identify genotypic differences in adaptation of 91 bean genotypes to high temperature under environmental conditions of a tropical dry forest ecosystem. We quantified differences among genotypes in terms of phenology, dry matter partitioning indices and grain yield. Common bean lines were derived from interspecific and intraspecific crosses among Phaseolus species of P. vulgaris, P. acutifolius, P. coccineus and P. dumosus. We identified three germplasm accessions of P. acutifolius (G 40001, G 40027, G 40141); two lines from the cross of P. vulgaris × P. acutifolius (INB 837, SIN 524); two lines from the cross of P. vulgaris × P. acutifolius × P. coccineus (SEF 14, SEF 42) and eight lines of P. vulgaris (BFS 10, SEN 46, SEN 48, SEN 70, SMN 99, SMC 140, SMR 139-1G, AMADEUS-EAP-9510-77) that are better adapted to higher temperature stress conditions, evidencing the significant contribution of P. acutifolius to heat tolerance derived from interspecific crosses in common beans. We also found a few Andean lines of growth habit I (SAP 1, SAP 1-15, SAP 1-16, G 122, SAB 618, DAB 525) with superior level of adaptation to heat stress. The superior performance of all these above identified genotypes under higher temperature conditions was attributed to early maturity, high pollen viability and greater ability to partition dry matter to reproductive growth together with greater grain filling.
Environmental Performance of Grazing Beef Cattle Systems in the Well- Drained Neotropical Savannas of Colombia: A Review of Results from Modelling Research
(Conference Paper, 2019-12-17) Ramírez Restrepo, Carlos Alberto; Vera Infanzón, Raul R.; Rao, Idupulapati M.
This paper is based on results obtained on live weight (LW) dynamics and it reviews the carbon (C) footprint of cattle- pasture systems where cattle were experimentally tested following representative commercial farming practices in the Colombian well-drained native neotropical savannas. We found that the derived carbon dioxide-equivalent efficiency indices, generated from modelling efforts, could explain the observed variation in LW fluxes related to cattle categories, animal physiological stages and specific farming conditions.
Convolutional Neural Net-Based Cassava Storage Root Counting Using Real and Synthetic Images
(Journal Article, 2019-11) Atanbori, John; Montoya Pizarro, Maria Elker; Selvaraj, Michael Gomez; French, Andrew P.; Pridmore, Tony P.
Cassava roots are complex structures comprising several distinct types of root. The number and size of the storage roots are two potential phenotypic traits reflecting crop yield and quality. Counting and measuring the size of cassava storage roots are usually done manually, or semi-automatically by first segmenting cassava root images. However, occlusion of both storage and fibrous roots makes the process both time-consuming and error-prone. While Convolutional Neural Nets have shown performance above the state-of-the-art in many image processing and analysis tasks, there are currently a limited number of Convolutional Neural Net-based methods for counting plant features. This is due to the limited availability of data, annotated by expert plant biologists, which represents all possible measurement outcomes. Existing works in this area either learn a direct image-to-count regressor model by regressing to a count value, or perform a count after segmenting the image. We, however, address the problem using a direct image-to-count prediction model. This is made possible by generating synthetic images, using a conditional Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), to provide training data for missing classes. We automatically form cassava storage root masks for any missing classes using existing ground-truth masks, and input them as a condition to our GAN model to generate synthetic root images. We combine the resulting synthetic images with real images to learn a direct image-to-count prediction model capable of counting the number of storage roots in real cassava images taken from a low cost aeroponic growth system. These models are used to develop a system that counts cassava storage roots in real images. Our system first predicts age group ('young' and 'old' roots; pertinent to our image capture regime) in a given image, and then, based on this prediction, selects an appropriate model to predict the number of storage roots. We achieve 91% accuracy on predicting ages of storage roots, and 86% and 71% overall percentage agreement on counting 'old' and 'young' storage roots respectively. Thus we are able to demonstrate that synthetically generated cassava root images can be used to supplement missing root classes, turning the counting problem into a direct image-to-count prediction task.
Barriers to institutional adoption of new products innovation: A Case of precooked beans among schools in Rwanda
(Journal Article, 2019) Mukamugema, Alice; Mshenga, Patience Mlongo; Birachi, Eliud Abucheli
The concept of precooked beans was introduced in Rwanda in 2009, to counteract the disadvantage of too much energy and time consumption associated with dry beans preparation. However, their adoption has been dismal and little is known on the possible causes of this. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify constraints impeding the adoption of precooked beans among secondary boarding schools in Rwanda. A multistage sampling procedure was used to interview 64 caterers of secondary boarding schools. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze constraints hindering the adoption of precooked beans among schools. Also, logistic regression was used to analyze factors influencing the willingness to adopt precooked beans in schools. The results showed 7 major constraints encountered by secondary boarding schools in adopting precooked beans and 5 factors statistically influencing the willingness of schools to adopt precooked beans. The study concluded that the lack of sufficient information, higher price, unavailability, distrust in sustainability claims, lower nutritional value, inconvenient packaging and inadequate storage are the major barriers to adoption of precooked beans in schools. Therefore, this study recommends producers of precooked beans to consider the abovementioned barriers in setting their marketing strategy to enhance the consumption of precooked beans among schools.
Root-zone hypoxia reduces growth of the tropical forage grass Urochloa humidicola in high-nutrient but not low-nutrient conditions
(Journal Article, 2019-11-27) Jiménez Serna, Juan de la Cruz; Kotula, Lukasz; Veneklaas, Erik Jan; Colmer, Timothy D.
Abstract Background and Aims The perennial C4 grass Urochloa humidicola is widely planted on infertile acidic and waterlogging-prone soils of tropical America. Waterlogging results in soil anoxia, and O2 deficiency can reduce nutrient uptake by roots. Interestingly, both nutrient deficiencies and soil waterlogging can enhance root cortical cell senescence, and the increased gas-filled porosity facilitates internal aeration of roots. We tested the influence of nutrient supply and root-zone O2 on root traits, leaf nutrient concentrations and growth of U. humidicola. Methods Plants were grown in pots in a completely randomized design under aerated or stagnant deoxygenated hydroponic conditions and six nutrient regimes, with low to high concentrations of all essential elements, for 28 d in a controlled-temperature greenhouse. The standard acid solution (SAS) used was previously designed based on infertile acidic soils of the tropical America savannas, and step increases in the concentration of SAS were used in aerated or deoxygenated 0.1 % agar solution, which mimics changes in gas composition in waterlogged soils. Measurements included shoot and root growth, root porosity, root anatomy, radial O2 loss, and leaf tissue nutrient concentrations. Key Results Shoot dry mass was reduced for plants in stagnant compared with aerated conditions at high, but not at low, levels of mineral nutrition. In low-nutrition stagnant solution, roots were shorter, of greater porosity and had smaller radial thickness of the stele. Suberized lamellae and lignified sclerenchyma, as well as a strong barrier to radial O2 loss, were documented for roots from all treatments. Leaf nutrient concentrations of K, Mg and Ca (but not N, P and S) were higher in aerated than in stagnant conditions. Conclusions Under low-nutrient conditions, plant growth in stagnant solution was equal to that in aerated solution, whereas under higher-nutrient regimes growth increased but dry mass in stagnant solution was less than in aerated solution. Slow growth in low-nutrient conditions limited any further response to the low O2 treatment, and greater porosity and smaller stele size in roots would enhance internal O2 movement within roots in the nutrient-limited stagnant conditions. A constitutive barrier to radial O2 loss and aerenchyma facilitates O2 movement to the tips of roots, which presumably contributes to maintaining nutrient uptake and the tolerance of U. humidicola to low O2 in the root-zone.
Metabolite database for root, tuber and banana crops to facilitate modern breeding in understudied crops
(Journal Article, 2020-03) Price, E.J.; Drapal, M.; Pérez Fons, Laura; Amah, D.; Bhattacharjee, Ranjana; Heider, B.; Rouard, M.; Swennen, Rony L.; Becerra López Lavelle, Luis Augusto; Fraser, Paul D.
Roots, tubers, and bananas (RTB) are vital staples for food security in the world's poorest nations. A major constraint to current RTB breeding programmes is limited knowledge on the available diversity due to lack of efficient germplasm characterization and structure. In recent years large‐scale efforts have begun to elucidate the genetic and phenotypic diversity of germplasm collections and populations and, yet, biochemical measurements have often been overlooked despite metabolite composition being directly associated with agronomic and consumer traits. Here we present a compound database and concentration range for metabolites detected in the major RTB crops: banana (Musa spp.), cassava (Manihot esculenta), potato (Solanum tuberosum), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), and yam (Dioscorea spp.), following metabolomics‐based diversity screening of global collections held within the CGIAR institutes. The dataset including 711 chemical features provides a valuable resource regarding the comparative biochemical composition of each RTB crop and highlights the potential diversity available for incorporation into crop improvement programmes. Particularly, the tropical crops cassava, sweet potato and banana displayed more complex compositional metabolite profiles with representations of up to 22 chemical classes (unknowns excluded) than that of potato, for which only metabolites from 10 chemical classes were detected. Additionally, over 20% of biochemical signatures remained unidentified for every crop analyzed. Integration of metabolomics with the on‐going genomic and phenotypic studies will enhance ’omics‐wide associations of molecular signatures with agronomic and consumer traits via easily quantifiable biochemical markers to aid gene discovery and functional characterization.
Ecosystem services in cassava intercropping: a global synthetic review
(Poster, 2019) Delaquis, Erik; Haan, Stef de; Wyckhuys, Kris A.G.
Intensification and extensification of agriculture are eroding the integrity of tropical ecosystems. As global land comes under increasing anthropogenic management, considering the impacts of management practices on ecosystem services (ES) is essential. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivation has expanded dramatically in the tropics, currently representing over 25 million hectares managed by millions of smallholders (Fig. 1). Diversification is often cited as a strategy for augmenting the functioning of ES in agricultural landscapes (Brooker et al., 2015; Kremen & Miles, 2012). Despite this, attempts to comprehensively evaluate diversification practices in cassava from an ES perspective remain rare. We conducted a systematic literature review of intercropping in cassava cultivation systems, and employed the concept of ES bundles to evaluate the impacts of diversification on a key set of ES.
Effective altruism as an ethical lens on research priorities
(Journal Article, 2020-04) Garrett, Karen A.; Alcala-Briseno, Ricardo; Andersen, Kelsey F.; Brawner, Jeremy; Choudhury, Robin; Delaquis, Erik; Fayette, Joubert; Poudel, Ravin; Purves, Duncan; Rothschild, Jennifer; Small, Ian; Thomas-Sharma, Sara; Xing, Yanru
Effective altruism is an ethical framework for identifying the greatest potential benefits from investments. Here, we apply effective altruism concepts to maximize research benefits through identification of priority stakeholders, pathosystems, and research questions and technologies. Priority stakeholders for research benefits may include smallholder farmers who have not yet attained the minimal standards set out by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; these farmers would often have the most to gain from better crop disease management, if their management problems are tractable. In wildlands, prioritization has been based on the risk of extirpating keystone species, protecting ecosystem services, and preserving wild resources of importance to vulnerable people. Pathosystems may be prioritized based on yield and quality loss, and also factors such as whether other researchers would be unlikely to replace the research efforts if efforts were withdrawn, such as in the case of orphan crops and orphan pathosystems. Research products that help build sustainable and resilient systems can be particularly beneficial. The “value of information” from research can be evaluated in epidemic networks and landscapes, to identify priority locations for both benefits to individuals and to constrain regional epidemics. As decision-making becomes more consolidated and more networked in digital agricultural systems, the range of ethical considerations expands. Low-likelihood but high-damage scenarios such as generalist doomsday pathogens may be research priorities because of the extreme potential cost. Regional microbiomes constitute a commons, and avoiding the “tragedy of the microbiome commons” may depend on shifting research products from “common pool goods” to “public goods” or other categories. We provide suggestions for how individual researchers and funders may make altruism-driven research more effective.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .
Sustainable intensification of beef production in Colombia—Chances for product differentiation and price premiums
(Journal Article, 2019-12) Charry, Andrés; Narjes, Manuel Ernesto; Enciso, Karen; Peters, Michael; Burkart, Stefan
To promote the adoption of more sustainable cattle production systems in Colombia (mainly silvopastoral systems with improved forages), some sector stakeholders have proposed the development of differentiated, higher value beef products. However, there have been no rigorous estimations of local market potential and consumer preferences for these hypothetical products yet. On the other hand, while there are clear efforts concerning the environmental impacts of cattle production, its animal welfare implications have taken a secondary place. This research attempts to evaluate the consumer’s response to both the environmental and animal welfare aspects of more sustainable food systems by (i) determining the characteristics of a consumer segment for sustainably produced beef using contingent valuation methods and (ii) estimating the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for animal welfare compliance and the environmental benefits derived from sustainable intensification within the identified consumer segment, employing a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE). In addition, the study estimates the effect of information on consumer’s MWTP for environmentally friendlier beef. Results show that consumers within the identified segment are willing to pay on average 40.2% more for beef certified with both animal welfare and eco-friendly standards, with an increase of nearly 10% after being provided with information of the sector’s environmental impacts. These findings support some of the current climate change mitigation strategies in the national cattle industry while highlighting relevant opportunities and trade-offs in the context of a developing country.

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