This is the first sectoral plan developed as part of the Provincial Climate Change Response Plan. It was developed with the support of the Euroclima Program.

In Argentina, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Other Land Use (AGSOUT) sector contributed 39% of total emissions in 2018, being the second sector with the highest emissions, after energy (MAyDS, 2021). Within the AGSOUT sector, a significant portion of emissions (40%) are attributable to livestock activities.

The expansion of this sector's activities in Argentina in recent decades has been most pronounced in the north of the country and associated especially with the increase in the area planted with transgenic soybeans and the transformation of extensive livestock farming, which is involved in the deforestation of huge areas of forest in the Chaco Seco region, as well as the growth of intensive livestock farming. In the search for solutions to the problems linked to the increase in GHG emissions due to the expansion experienced by the livestock sector in the province of Salta, the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development has been working since 2019 in cooperation with the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) in the framework of the Euroclima Program.

The itinerary for the plan development included conducting several technical studies that sought to better understand the impacts caused by the expansion of intensive livestock farming in the province and to learn about the practices and technologies that could be applied to reduce its emissions. This information was used to prepare proposals for mitigation scenarios. At the same time, a participatory process was developed that sought to involve the main actors in the sector in the province, to disseminate information on the studies carried out and receive their feedback in defining the measures to be considered in the plan.

Within the framework of the participatory process, the need for greater knowledge on the situation of women livestock farmers in the province emerged and took shape, since the available information was scarce and scattered. Therefore, as a first approach to the subject, the study "Analysis of the situation of cattle raising women - Chaco Region and Calchaquíes Valleys, Province of Salta, Argentina" (Godoy and Ataide, 2022) was carried out. The results of this study show the precarious situation of women in this sector, despite the multiple tasks they perform. The information provided by this work made it possible to incorporate the gender perspective into the livestock plan.

The preparation of the proposal for the "Livestock plan for response to climate change in the province of Salta" was approached on the basis of all the information generated in the studies carried out and its formulation sought articulation with the recent efforts of the province to respond to the problem of climate change, which resulted in the "Provincial Plan for Response to Climate Change". The Livestock Plan generated, therefore, constitutes the first sectoral climate change plan proposed in the province. According to the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development of Salta, it is a participatory and flexible document that provides strategic and cross-cutting lines aimed at reducing emissions in the livestock sector in Salta and has the capacity to continue incorporating initiatives or revise existing ones.

In its first part, the plan presents a brief diagnosis on the characteristics of livestock in the province of Salta, the main sources of gas emission and climatic threats and risks of the sector. Subsequently, the actions, measures and projects are organized in strategic lines shaping a response approach to mitigation needs and adaptation to climate change sector in the province.

The Plan's measures were structured along seven strategic lines: Emission Reduction for intensive livestock farming, Agricultural Emergency, Promotion of Increased Efficiency and Intensification, Adaptation to New Climate Conditions, Early Warning Systems, Risk Transfer and Environmental Management and Effluent Treatment; and four cross-cutting lines: Animal Health and Welfare, Food Safety, Generation of Information and Training and Reduction of Livestock Producers' Vulnerability.

The approach of the Livestock Plan prioritizes, for its mitigation component, the incentive to incorporate practices and technology that contribute to lower emissions GHG , once they tend to increase productivity. The adaptation component seeks to generate specific responses to climate impacts and risks while reducing the vulnerability of livestock producers. It

also considers specific objectives related to governance, education, small vulnerable producers and women´s issues.