Adaptability of Governance Structures and Processes for Sustainable Livestock in Jalisco, Mexico

ABSTRACT Global increases in meat production have intensified interest in alternative livestock systems that can address environmental, social, and economic challenges. Transitioning toward sustainable livestock (SL) systems requires adaptive governance arrangements that integrate local knowledge into broader policy design. Yet, in Latin America, such transitions are constrained by institutional weakness, sectoral antagonism, and informal power relations. This article analyzes the adaptability of multilevel governance for SL initiatives in Jalisco, Mexico (2016–2024), a key REDD+ implementation area. Using document analysis, interviews, and workshops with government and non‐government actors, the article examines how intersectoral collaboration, learning, and legitimacy evolved across governance levels. The findings show that adaptive governance emerged through informal coordination among environmental and forestry authorities, and civil society actors, supported by local learning platforms such as livestock field schools. However, limited engagement of agricultural authorities, reliance on external funding, and fragmented mandates constrained polycentricity and institutional integration. Despite actors' use of diverse labels—sustainable, regenerative, or low‐emissions livestock—collaboration converged on the shared goal of sustainable rural development. Adaptation occurred primarily through social learning and local brokerage rather than formal institutional reform, revealing both the potential and limits of adaptive governance under conditions of sectoral asymmetry. The study advances adaptive governance and policy implementation research by demonstrating how collaboration, learning, and legitimacy coevolve within fragmented, low‐capacity governance settings typical of the Global South.