Evaluating eco-efficiency in suckler beef production in Northern Spain: A combined environmental and economic approach
Livestock products, particularly beef, play a key role in global food security and rural economic development, but they are also associated with substantial environmental impacts. In this context, understanding the relationship between environmental performance and economic outcomes at the farm leve...
| Autores: | , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2026 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de Cantabria (UC) |
| Repositorio: | UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabria |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dnet:ucreareposit::d5522f76ea2129a1996dd725c272af9d |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10902/40432 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Life cycle assessment Life cycle costing Eco-efficiency Beef production systems Manure management |
| Sumario: | Livestock products, particularly beef, play a key role in global food security and rural economic development, but they are also associated with substantial environmental impacts. In this context, understanding the relationship between environmental performance and economic outcomes at the farm level is essential to support sustainable management decisions. Previous studies have predominantly focused on environmental aspects, with limited attention given to the application of eco-efficiency frameworks that integrate environmental and economic dimensions at the farm scale. To address this gap, this study applies an integrated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) approach to evaluate the eco-efficiency of suckler beef production systems in Northern Spain. Environmental impacts were assessed using a cradle-to-farm-gate approach, considering global warming potential, eutrophication, terrestrial acidification, land use and photochemical ozone formation, while economic performance was evaluated through value added indicators. Several alternative production scenarios were explored, focusing on dietary reformulation, emission mitigation measures, and manure management strategies. The results show that animal-related emissions, particularly enteric methane and manure management, are the main drivers of climate change impacts. Among the evaluated. |
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