Sustainability index for eco-friendly cattle farming in dry climate regions

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cattle farming is an important pillar of dry climate agriculture. Cattle farming has even become the main engine of the community's economy. Currently, there are significant obstacles in the implementation of ecological, economic, technological, and infrastructural dimensions, alongside legal and institutional frameworks, that are essential for promoting sustainable livestock farming practices. Specific studies on different dimensional attributes affecting the sustainability of beef cattle are required. The objective of this study is to investigate different factors within four dimensions that affect the sustainability of cattle farming practices in dry climatic conditions.<br /> METHODS: This study was conducted using an interview approach to respondents using a questionnaire or list of questions. The questionnaire contains questions on 37 dimensional attributes, including ten environmental, ten economic, ten technological and infrastructure attributes, and seven legal and institutional attributes. A range of responses was collected from individuals engaged in livestock management in the dry climatic conditions of Timor Tengah Utara Regency. The data that has been collected is analyzed employing Multidimensional Scaling and expedited appraisal software. To evaluate sustainability and leverage attributes, Monte Carlo analysis and the alternating least squares algorithm are applied.<br /> FINDINGS: The study's outcomes revealed that the sustainability index pertaining to beef cattle farming in dry climates recorded an average score of 53.09 percent. This finding is based on the economic dimension of 45.58 percent, the environmental dimension of 54.18 percent, the technology and infrastructure dimension of 35.15 percent, and the legal and institutional dimension of 77.46 percent. The sustainability index, reflecting the technology and infrastructure aspects, ranks the lowest, primarily because the technological advancements necessary for achieving sustainable livestock farming are still underdeveloped. The availability of livestock waste processing technology is still relatively low and has not been processed optimally. This situation has an impact on the environment.<br /> CONCLUSION: The sustainability index of dry climate beef cattle farming is greatly influenced by the attributes of technology and infrastructure dimensions. The enhancement of sustainability in the future necessitates careful consideration of specific factors, including the accessibility of waste and product processing technologies, advancements in information technology, and the development of road infrastructure. Attributes in the legal and institutional dimensions are the main factors supporting beef cattle's sustainability. Optimizing extension services by increasing the number of livestock extension workers is crucial in accelerating the dissemination of eco-friendly livestock technology and innovation.