IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i9p3852-d1641692.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Brief Review of Climate-Smart Technologies in the Beef Sector: Potentials and Development Status

Author

Listed:
  • Binod Khanal

    (College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA)

  • Sunil P. Dhoubhadel

    (College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA)

Abstract

Livestock-focused climate-smart (CS) technologies aim to reduce emissions, increase productivity, and improve resilience to climate change. This study reviews CS practices and technologies for cattle production and discusses economic feasibility by exploring the likelihood of consumers’ acceptance of CS beef products and producers adopting these novel technologies on their farms. We identify four key CS technologies and practices cattle farms can adopt: CS farm management (grazing and manure management), methane-reducing feed additives, selective breeding, and genetic engineering. While all these technologies have the potential to reduce methane emissions, practices such as grazing management and using on-farm bio-digesters that do not seemingly alter the animal products are more likely to be accepted by consumers and producers than technologies such as genetic engineering. Although consumers’ willingness to pay for CS beef would be the biggest driver of the on-farm adoption of CS technologies, employing several other market and non-market approaches, such as carbon credits, labeling, tax rebates, subsidies, etc., could help more producers adopt CS technologies. Future studies should focus on understanding the determinants of CS technology adoption and consumer acceptance of CS meat/milk products.

Suggested Citation

  • Binod Khanal & Sunil P. Dhoubhadel, 2025. "A Brief Review of Climate-Smart Technologies in the Beef Sector: Potentials and Development Status," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-14, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:9:p:3852-:d:1641692
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/9/3852/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/9/3852/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Scarpa, Riccardo & Ruto, Eric S. K. & Kristjanson, Patti & Radeny, Maren & Drucker, Adam G. & Rege, John E. O., 2003. "Valuing indigenous cattle breeds in Kenya: an empirical comparison of stated and revealed preference value estimates," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 409-426, July.
    2. White, Robin R. & Brady, Michael, 2014. "Can consumers’ willingness to pay incentivize adoption of environmental impact reducing technologies in meat animal production?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(P1), pages 41-49.
    3. Valerie Kilders & Vincenzina Caputo, 2024. "A reference‐price‐informed experiment to assess consumer demand for beef with a reduced carbon footprint," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 106(1), pages 3-20, January.
    4. Li, Xiaogu & Jensen, Kimberly L. & Clark, Christopher D. & Lambert, Dayton M., 2016. "Consumer willingness to pay for beef grown using climate friendly production practices," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 93-106.
    5. Van Loo, Ellen J. & Caputo, Vincenzina & Nayga, Rodolfo M. & Verbeke, Wim, 2014. "Consumers’ valuation of sustainability labels on meat," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(P1), pages 137-150.
    6. Jayson L. Lusk & Jutta Roosen & John A. Fox, 2003. "Demand for Beef from Cattle Administered Growth Hormones or Fed Genetically Modified Corn: A Comparison of Consumers in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 85(1), pages 16-29.
    7. Altmann, Brianne A. & Anders, Sven & Risius, Antje & Mörlein, Daniel, 2022. "Information effects on consumer preferences for alternative animal feedstuffs," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    8. Amadu, Festus O. & McNamara, Paul E. & Miller, Daniel C., 2020. "Yield effects of climate-smart agriculture aid investment in southern Malawi," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    9. Vatsa, Puneet & Ma, Wanglin & Zheng, Hongyun & Li, Junpeng, 2023. "Climate-smart agricultural practices for promoting sustainable agrifood production: Yield impacts and implications for food security," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    10. Davidson, Kelly A. & McFadden, Brandon R. & Meyer, Sarah & Bernard, John C., 2025. "Consumer Preferences for Low-Methane Beef: The Impact of Pre-Purchase Information, Point-of-Purchase Labels, and Increasing Prices," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    11. Bhagyashree Katare & Hyejin Yim & Anne Byrne & H. Holly Wang & Michael Wetzstein, 2023. "Consumer willingness to pay for environmentally sustainable meat and a plant‐based meat substitute," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 45(1), pages 145-163, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aaron M. Shew & Heather A. Snell & Rodolfo M. Nayga & Mary C. Lacity, 2022. "Consumer valuation of blockchain traceability for beef in the United States," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(1), pages 299-323, March.
    2. Risius, Antje & Hamm, Ulrich, 2017. "Consumer segmentation based on attitudes - Does information change it all?," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258328, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Mwalupaso, Gershom Endelani & Eshetie, Aseres Mamo & Matafwali, Eunice & Akter, Asma & Lu, Hua & Geng, Xianhui, 2025. "Rethinking household food security under a changing climate in drought prone areas of Ethiopia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    4. Altmann, Brianne A. & Anders, Sven & Risius, Antje & Mörlein, Daniel, 2022. "Information effects on consumer preferences for alternative animal feedstuffs," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    5. Li, Jie & Gonzalez, Wendy & Monterrosa, Eva & Gómez, Miguel I. & Nicholson, Charles F., 2024. "Choice experiments and Value-Chain modeling of attribute improvements to increase vegetable consumption in Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    6. Birol, Ekin & Kontoleon, Andreas & Smale, Melinda, 2005. "Using A Choice Experiment To Estimate The Demand Of Hungarian Farmers For Food Security And Agrobiodiversity During Economic Transition," Environmental Economy and Policy Research Discussion Papers 31937, University of Cambridge, Department of Land Economy.
    7. Andrés Charry & Manuel Narjes & Karen Enciso & Michael Peters & Stefan Burkart, 2019. "Sustainable intensification of beef production in Colombia—Chances for product differentiation and price premiums," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 7(1), pages 1-18, December.
    8. Wen Lin & David L Ortega & Vincenzina Caputo, 2023. "Experimental quantity, mental budgeting and food choice: a discrete choice experiment application," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 50(2), pages 457-496.
    9. Deely, John & Hynes, Stephen & Barquín, José & Burgess, Diane & Álvarez-Martínez, Jose Manuel & Silió, Ana & Finney, Graham, 2022. "Are consumers willing to pay for beef that has been produced without the use of uncontrolled burning methods? A contingent valuation study in North-West Spain," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 577-590.
    10. Schmiess, Jacob S. & Lusk, Jayson L., 2022. "Tradeoff between Animal Welfare and Environmental Impacts of Beef Production: An Analysis of Presentation Effects on Consumer Choice," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 47(2), May.
    11. Wang, Huanhuan & Fan, Xiaoli & Guo, Junjie & Zhao, Qilan & Dai, Zixuan, 2024. "Towards sustainable beef: The role of altruistic preference in the value chain transformation," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    12. Ariyawardana, Anoma & Lim-Camacho, Lilly & Crimp, Steven & Wellington, Michael & Somogyi, Simon, 2018. "Consumer Response to Climate Adaptation Strategies in the Food Sector: An Australian Scenario," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 383-393.
    13. Joanna Kaczorowska & Krystyna Rejman & Ewa Halicka & Agata Szczebyło & Hanna Górska-Warsewicz, 2019. "Impact of Food Sustainability Labels on the Perceived Product Value and Price Expectations of Urban Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-17, December.
    14. Jigyasa Sandilya & Kishor Goswami, 2024. "Effect of different forms of capital on the adoption of multiple climate-smart agriculture strategies by smallholder farmers in Assam, India," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 29(4), pages 1-23, April.
    15. Davidson, Kelly A. & McFadden, Brandon R. & Meyer, Sarah & Bernard, John C., 2025. "Consumer Preferences for Low-Methane Beef: The Impact of Pre-Purchase Information, Point-of-Purchase Labels, and Increasing Prices," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    16. Yang, Wei & Rennie, Grant & Ledgard, Stewart & Mercer, Geoff & Lucci, Gina, 2020. "Impact of delivering ‘green’ dairy products on farm in New Zealand," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    17. Yang, W. & Renwich, A., 2018. "Consumer Willingness to Pay Price Premium for Credence Attributes of Livestock Products A Meta-Analysis method," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277320, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    18. Ward, Clement E. & Lusk, Jayson L. & Dutton, Jennifer M., 2008. "Implicit Value of Retail Beef Product Attributes," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 33(3), pages 1-18.
    19. Zhifeng Gao & Ted C. Schroeder, 2009. "Consumer responses to new food quality information: are some consumers more sensitive than others?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 40(3), pages 339-346, May.
    20. Mark Morrison & Craig Nalder, 2009. "Willingness to Pay for Improved Quality of Electricity Supply Across Business Type and Location," The Energy Journal, , vol. 30(2), pages 117-134, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:9:p:3852-:d:1641692. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.