Farm-Level Financial Decision-Making Methodologies within a Cow-Calf Enterprise: A Scoping Review

Beef cow-calf enterprises face unique financial challenges, requiring methodologies to assess management and technology adoption decisions’ costs, revenues, and profitability. This scoping review synthesizes research on farm-level financial assessment methods specific to cow-calf operations aiming to adopt a new practice or technology. A literature search was conducted to capture various methodologies, examining studies published between 1960 and 2024. A total of 372 articles were screened for eligibility; 61 articles met the defined inclusion criteria. Eight economic and financial methodologies were identified: break-even analysis, cost effectiveness, gross margin, enterprise analysis, partial budgeting, cost-benefit analysis, financial feasibility and net present value, and system dynamics. To support standardization across studies, decision tree frameworks were proposed to aid in selecting appropriate methodologies. This review underscores the need for economic models that integrate key decision points, such as break-even prices and cost thresholds, to help producers assess the financial viability of management strategies under variable conditions. Blending probabilistic risk assessments with traditional financial tools improves evaluations by clarifying financial risks and uncertainties. Integrating methods enables researchers to better address system complexity and assess outcomes across multiple time horizons. Comprehensive and transparent reporting is essential to ensure reproducibility and broader applicability across production systems. The scoping review summarizes the advantages, limitations, and best practices of the financial methodologies, offering an outline of financial analyses for future cow-calf research.