Integrating Biodiverse Silvopastoral Systems with Tax Law and Digital Technologies: Impacts on Welfare, Productivity, and Conservation in Tropical Livestock Systems

Biodiverse Silvopastoral Systems (BSSPs) offer a sustainable alternative for tropical ‎livestock production by integrating trees, shrubs, and forage species with grazing ‎animals. This study evaluated the impacts of BSSPs on productivity, animal welfare, ‎and biodiversity in the Ecuadorian Amazon and examined how digital technologies and ‎tax incentives can support their adoption. Data were collected from farms with varying ‎levels of biodiversity integration and digital technology use. BSSPs increased milk yield ‎to 10.1 L/cow/day, nearly 50% higher than conventional systems (6.8 L/day), and ‎improved carcass weights by 14%. Despite lower stocking rates, net income per hectare ‎was up to 28% higher, driven by improved animal performance and reduced veterinary ‎costs. Animal welfare indicators also improved significantly. BSSP cattle exhibited ‎lower body temperatures (38.3 °C vs. 39.1 °C) and respiration rates, associated with ‎reduced thermal stress due to increased shrub cover (up to 42%) and canopy density, ‎lowering the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) below critical thresholds. Ecologically, ‎BSSPs supported up to 21 tree species and doubled the Shannon Diversity Index (2.76 ‎vs. 1.05) compared to monoculture systems. Digital tools—such as GPS collars, rumen ‎sensors, and drones—were more commonly used in BSSPs, enhancing monitoring and ‎management capacity. However, connectivity limitations and limited awareness of fiscal ‎benefits still constrain broader adoption. This study highlights the potential of aligning ‎agroecological practices with digital innovation and fiscal policy to transform tropical ‎livestock systems. Promoting BSSPs through targeted tax incentives and precision ‎technologies can simultaneously improve productivity, animal welfare, and ecosystem ‎services‎.