Cover photo: Inauguration of the board of the newly established Beni Eco-friendly Ranching Alliance. Fegabeni.
The “Beni Eco-friendly Ranching Alliance” is now a reality and was officially established on the 8th of October 2024 in the Beni capital of Trinidad, Bolivia. This nonprofit organization was created through a partnership between the Beni Ranching Federation (Fegabeni) and Asociación Armonía. The alliance’s primary mission is to promote and develop joint activities that foster low-impact, sustainable ranching aimed at preserving the natural grasslands of the Beni department and its biodiversity.
At the general assembly at Fegabeni’s facilities, representatives from both organizations highlighted the importance of this initiative to promote sustainable cattle ranching on the Beni Savanna’s natural grasslands without altering the natural landscape. This approach contrasts sharply with conventional ranching, which often involves significant land-use changes and deforestation. By implementing profitable, eco-friendly practices, this sustainable model on natural grasslands not only supports livestock production but also helps safeguard the region’s biodiversity and ecological value, demonstrating that conservation and production can go hand in hand.
“Sustainable ranching is a key strategy for maintaining natural ecosystems. It promotes practices that not only benefit biodiversity but also support livestock producers. The foundation of the Beni Eco-friendly Ranching Alliance is a crucial step towards protecting Beni’s grasslands, showing that collaboration between the ranching sector and conservation organizations is both possible and necessary to ensure a sustainable future for the region,” stated Tjalle Boorsma, Director of Programs at Armonía and inaugurated as interim president of the Alliance.
Since 2019, Armonía has implemented a sustainable cattle ranching model within the Barba Azul Nature Reserve to protect the Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaw and specialized grassland biodiversity. We study various ranching practices that enhance biodiversity conservation while increasing economic productivity. Our goal is to identify, implement and promote sustainable practices that local ranchers can adopt—allowing them to become more profitable without the need for their own experimentation—while preserving the Beni grasslands.
Photo: Cattle fulfill an ecological role in the Beni grasslands, maintaining grass at an ideal foraging length for long-distance migratory shorebirds like the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, migrating from the arctic to the southern cone. Teodoro Camacho, Armonía.
The event also included the election of the board for the new organization. Tjalle Boorsma was appointed interim president of the alliance, Hans Peter Elsner, general manager of Estancia Espíritu, as Secretary of Treasury, and Carlos Peñaranda as Board Member. The headquarters of the Beni Eco-friendly Ranching Alliance will be in Trinidad.
“The development of sustainable ranching systems requires long-term planning and the use of precise meteorological data. We have implemented a system reflecting this approach, and it is gratifying to see how the alliance can bring this model to more ranchers in Beni,” noted Hans Peter Elsner, highlighting the significance of this new phase of collaboration.
The Beni Eco-friendly Ranching Alliance is poised to become a regional leader in reconciling livestock production with environmental conservation, serving as a model for future sustainable initiatives. We aim to provide Bolivia with a certified food product, produced sustainably, protecting and conserving Bolivia’s precious Beni natural grasslands.
Photo: Members of Fegabeni and Asociación Armonía at the founding of the Beni Eco-friendly Ranching Alliance. Fegabeni.