Ultraintensive livestock farming

an integrative review of technical, financial, environmental, and social-institutional indicators in Latin America

Abstract

Bovine livestock farming in Latin America faces the challenge of increasing productivity and competitiveness without worsening environmental impacts or conflicts over land use. In this context, ultraintensive systems with strategic supplementation emerge as an alternative; however, regional evidence remains scattered, heterogeneous, and based on metrics that are not always comparable, which limits evidence-based technical and policy decisions. This article comparatively evaluates the technical, financial, environmental, and social-institutional viability of ultraintensive livestock systems with strategic supplementation against traditional extensive models in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia. An integrative review was conducted following the methodology proposed by Whittemore and Knafl (2005) and PRISMA 2020. Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and Redalyc were consulted, supplemented by grey literature (FAO, IICA, CEPAL, INAC, INTA, EMBRAPA). A total of 240 records were identified, and 50 documents were included (32 articles, 10 technical reports, 5 theses, and 3 reviews) published between 2000 and 2024 in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The synthesis indicates that ultraintensive models increase weight gain (20–35%), improve forage efficiency (up to 40%), and reduce GHG emissions per kg of meat (15–25%). Financially, they show better medium-term returns, although the initial investment and access to credit restrict adoption among smallholder producers. At the social-institutional level, training, cultural acceptance, and traceability and certification frameworks condition scaling. Overall, the findings support policies and investments aimed at sustainable intensification, with financing, technical assistance, and territorial governance.