Life Cycle Carbon Footprint Assessment and Scenario‐Driven Mitigation Pathways in Beef Cattle Farming: A Case Study of Chai Nat Province, Thailand

Although beef cattle farming is a major source of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, life cycle‐based assessments of smallholder‐dominated cattle production systems in Southeast Asia remain limited, particularly with respect to mitigation and offset potentials. This study conducts a cradle‐to‐farm‐gate life cycle carbon footprint assessment of beef cattle farming in Chai Nat Province, Thailand, and evaluates scenario‐driven mitigation pathways using a carbon neutrality model (CNM). Primary data were collected from 34 beef cattle farms, categorized into traditional operations and commercial feedlot systems. Emissions were quantified as kg CO 2 ‐eq yr − 1 head − 1 across off‐farm, on‐farm, and post‐farm stages. Results indicate that on‐farm activities accounted for 58% of total emissions, followed by upstream feed‐related inputs (42%), while post‐farm contributions were negligible. Enteric fermentation, concentrate feed production, and manure management emerged as the principal emission hotspots. Despite lower emissions from animal production, commercial feedlot systems exhibited significantly higher life cycle carbon footprints per head than traditional systems, due to greater input intensity associated with concentrate feed use, energy consumption, and manure handling. CNM‐based scenario analysis shows that, under a uniform adoption rate of 60%, mitigation and offset measures collectively reduced emissions by 42.1% in traditional operations and 39.5% in commercial systems, with direct mitigation measures accounting for most reductions. Nevertheless, substantial residual emissions remained, particularly in high‐input systems, underscoring a persistent carbon neutrality gap. Overall, this study provides region‐specific empirical evidence and highlights the importance of system‐differentiated mitigation strategies for advancing low‐carbon beef cattle production in smallholder and semi‐intensive contexts.