Natural Resource Management as a Green Growth Pathway for the Livestock Economic Sustainability in Tropical Forest Ecosystems

Abstract

Tropical forest ecosystems support livestock production and rural livelihoods but face increasing pressure from land conversion and inefficient resource use. Integrating natural resource management (NRM) into livestock systems is therefore critical to achieving economic sustainability while conserving forest landscapes. This study aims to quantify the impact of NRM practices on the economic sustainability of livestock systems in tropical forest areas of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. A mixed-methods approach was applied, including a survey of 120 livestock households, supported by field observations and multiple regression analyses. Economic sustainability was measured using income level, cost-benefit ratio, feed cost proportion, and income variability. The results show that NRM variables explain 63% of the variation in livestock economic sustainability (R² = 0.63). Land and soil management (β = 0.312; p = 0.001) and waste recycling practices (β = 0.294; p = 0.002) had the most potent positive effects, followed by agroforestry integration (β = 0.267; p = 0.004). Livestock systems with high NRM adoption generated higher annual income (IDR 39.6 million) than low-adoption systems (IDR 27.3 million), achieved a higher cost–benefit ratio (1.76 vs. 1.38), and exhibited lower income variability (17.8% vs. 29.6%). The study concludes that NRM adoption enhances productivity, stabilizes income, and reduces pressure on forest land, thereby supporting green-growth-oriented livestock development in tropical forest ecosystems.