Supplementary file 1_Reframing beef production in the Pampa biome: a life cycle assessment of environmental sustainability.pdf

The following environmental impact categories were assessed: global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), land use (LU), water use (WU), and energy use (EU). In addition, an exploratory carbon-balance indicator was estimated by comparing system emissions with literature-based estimates of gross vegetation CO₂ uptake during the production period. The results showed a variation among the systems evaluated.

GWP ranged from 32.59 to 52.93 kg CO₂eq kg^-1 of beef, with lower values ​​in semi-intensive systems based on sown pastures and higher values ​​in semi-intensive grain-based and extensive systems. Systems with higher application of agricultural inputs demonstrated greater impacts of AP and EP, while LU varied according to productivity and the land requirements associated with each system. Several scenarios showed negative values for the exploratory carbon-balance indicator due to estimated gross vegetation CO₂ uptake, without implying permanent carbon sequestration.

In summary, the results reinforce that the sustainability of beef production in the Pampa biome depends on balancing productivity, resource and input use, and environmental trade-offs across different production strategies. These findings provide evidence on the environmental trade-offs associated with contrasting beef production systems in the Pampa biome and may contribute to future discussions on environmental performance assessment and sustainability evaluation in beef production.</p>