Outcomes of a Public Program to Support Sustainable Livestock Farming: Evidence From Uruguay

ABSTRACT As global demand for beef increases, balancing livestock productivity with environmental sustainability has become a policy priority. In response, Uruguay implemented the Sustainable Family Production Programme (PFIS) between 2015 and 2017, providing targeted support for small and medium‐sized cattle farmers to invest in productivity‐enhancing and climate‐adaptive technologies. This study provides the first causal evaluation of a national programme designed to promote these dual objectives in the cattle sector. Using a regression discontinuity design based on a strict eligibility threshold and panel data from 2015 to 2020, we evaluate the programme's effect on five dimensions: (i) the adoption of technology and practices, (ii) engagement in producer organisations, (iii) reported cattle health problems, (iv) beef production per hectare, and (v) greenhouse gas emissions intensity. The intervention significantly increased the application of reproductive and herd management practices, specifically early weaning, controlled mating, and ovarian activity diagnosis, without generating shifts in the other measured outcomes by the 2020 horizon. These results highlight both the potential and the limitations of integrated technology transfer programmes in promoting sustainable intensification of extensive livestock systems. They also suggest the need for longer‐term evaluations to capture potential effects on productivity and emissions that may emerge as these technologies, particularly reproductive ones, influence aggregate outcomes.