The floodable savannah of the Llanos Orientales in Colombian Orinoquia, departments of Arauca and Casanare (5 million hectares), represents 32% of Colombia's savannahs, 48% of the country's wetland area and 12.5% of the Orinoco River basin. This territory has historically been occupied by cattle ranching, with minimal transformation of the natural ecosystems, and is the basis of the local llanera culture. These cattle ranches have put in place conservation efforts by establishing themselves as Civil Society Nature Reserves, signing Conservation Production Agreements, and as Areas of Interest for the Conservation of Birds-AICAS. The identity of this landscape is characterised by water, biodiversity, livestock and the llaneros people. Casanare has the second largest cattle herd in the country, estimated to produce 0.98% of net emissions and Arauca 0.5% of the country's 100% net emissions of 185.6 (Mton CO2 eq2) considering that Colombia represents only 0.4% of GHG emissions worldwide. Based on the functioning of the local socio-ecosystem, the cattle ranches that uses the natural supply through a systemic approach that recognises its various subsystems and their relationships with water dynamics and native fodder, soil, culture and family, privileging the great biodiversity of this region, manages to obtain low GHG emissions benefits. It represents a sui generis case where livestock farming has favoured conservation processes, has maintained the local lalnera culture, but needs to improve its productive indexes. Principles such as natural resources, individuals and community, animal welfare, food, efficiency and innovation are part of the productivity improvement strategy for efficient and productive livestock farming in flooded savannahs under a conservation-production approach.
