Abtract. The Agricultural Transformation Pathways (ATP) for Uruguay and two other selected study cases issued in 2016 in the frame of the UN´s Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) projectmade relevant advances in setting the desired and feasible goals and development objectives for 2030 (Schwoob et al., 2016). Beef is one of the main agri-food chains included in Uruguay´s first studies given is the country´s main export and production is the largest in terms of land used (12,6 million ha) and farms involved (44780). Understanding the relationship among the multiple factors driving farmers´ decision making process is crucial for policymakers and experts selecting the best pathway to overcome roadblocks and reach goals. This paper addresses the relationship between farm business orientation, farm size, technological level, production performance and economic return in the beef cattle production sector. The objective is to understand the main constraints to the adoption of technology and the main factors to consider in the design of future assistance programs.