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Blanco-Doval A, Barron LJR, Aldai N. Nutritional Quality and Socio-Ecological Benefits of Mare Milk Produced under Grazing Management. Foods 2024; 13:1412. [PMID: 38731783 PMCID: PMC11083796 DOI: 10.3390/foods13091412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
This review discusses the scientific evidence that supports the nutritional value of mare milk and how its properties are essentially achieved when mares are managed under grazing conditions. Mare milk's similarity with the chemical composition of human milk makes this food and its derived products not only suitable for human consumption but also an interesting food regarding human health. The contribution of horse breeding under grazing management to other socio-ecological benefits generated by equine farms is also highlighted. Both the high added value of mare milk and the socio-ecological benefits derived from pasture-based systems could be explored to improve the performance of equine farms located in arid and semi-arid areas or in regions with moderately harsh environmental conditions as equids have a strong adaptation capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Noelia Aldai
- Lactiker Research Group, Department of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; (A.B.-D.); (L.J.R.B.)
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2
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Lasanta T, Cortijos-López M, Errea MP, Llena M, Sánchez-Navarrete P, Zabalza J, Nadal-Romero E. Shrub clearing and extensive livestock as a strategy for enhancing ecosystem services in degraded Mediterranean mid-mountain areas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167668. [PMID: 37820804 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Land abandonment in the Mediterranean mountains since the 20th century has led to a reduction of ecosystem services, due to revegetation and homogenization of the landscape. To counteract these effects, the regional administration of La Rioja in Spain initiated a Plan for Shrub Clearing (PSC) combined with extensive livestock grazing in 1986, which is still in action today. This study analyses the effects of pairing clearing with grazing in an experimental area of the Leza valley (Iberian System) on: (i) the landscape structure and structural diversity; (ii) the production of pasture; (iii) fire control; (iv) soil organic carbon sequestration (also considering soil environmental types); (v) surface water resources. The results show that: (i) a more fragmented landscape with greater diversity is created; (ii) grazing land is almost doubled in alkaline soils and four-fold in siliceous soils; (iii) fires are considerably reduced, with the mean surface fire spread falling from 34.1 ha/year from 1968 to 1985, to 1.2 ha/year between 1986 and 2022; (iv) regenerated post-clearance grazing soils sequester more organic carbon than that of shrublands, especially older clearings on alkaline soils (55.3 % more); (v) clearing increases hydrological connectivity and water resources. The conclusion is that managing the Mediterranean mid-mountains could be a very effective strategy to improve the supply of certain ecosystem services and improve the current socio-economic perspective of these marginal areas in a context of Global Change. The PSC also contributes to local development by increasing livestock numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodoro Lasanta
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei. Avda. Montaña 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Melani Cortijos-López
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei. Avda. Montaña 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - M Paz Errea
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei. Avda. Montaña 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Manel Llena
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei. Avda. Montaña 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Pedro Sánchez-Navarrete
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei. Avda. Montaña 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Javier Zabalza
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei. Avda. Montaña 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Estela Nadal-Romero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC), Campus de Aula Dei. Avda. Montaña 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
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3
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Leroy G, Boettcher P, Joly F, Looft C, Baumung R. Multifunctionality and provision of ecosystem services by livestock species and breeds at global level. Animal 2024; 18:101048. [PMID: 38160592 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.101048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Beyond providing food, livestock species are linked to a wide range of uses and ecosystem services (ESs). Based on information reported by 41 countries on 3 361 national breed populations to the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, we investigated how factors such as species, region, breed adaptedness, or management system associate with the recognition of provision of a set of 52 ESs. Among species, a greater number of cultural ESs were reported for horses (2.47 for horses vs 0.75 on average across all species), while the major ruminant species (cattle, goats and sheep) were on average associated with more provisioning ESs (2.99 vs 2.39), and more regulating and maintenance ESs (1.86 vs 1.32). Compared to European breeds, African livestock contribute more provisioning ES (3.95 vs 1.88). Native breeds and, to a lesser extent, locally adapted breeds, were linked to more ESs than were exotic breeds (5.97 and 4.10 vs 2.90, respectively), regardless of the ES category considered. The total number of ES reported was greater for breeds primarily kept under Back Yard/Farm Yard and extensive management systems than in other production environments. Different "bundles" of ES were identified in relation to the interdependence among themselves, or according to species or regional specificities. Overall, our results highlight that native and locally adapted breeds, which tend to be raised in less specialized production systems than exotic breeds, are reported to play multiple roles contributing to rural community livelihoods and environmental sustainability of food systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Leroy
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Roma, Italy.
| | - P Boettcher
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Roma, Italy
| | - F Joly
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
| | - C Looft
- Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences, Brodaer Str. 2, Neubrandenburg, Germany
| | - R Baumung
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Roma, Italy
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4
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Vanham D, Bruckner M, Schwarzmueller F, Schyns J, Kastner T. Multi-model assessment identifies livestock grazing as a major contributor to variation in European Union land and water footprints. NATURE FOOD 2023; 4:575-584. [PMID: 37460646 PMCID: PMC10365989 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00797-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Food systems are the largest users of land and water resources worldwide. Using a multi-model approach to track food through the global trade network, we calculated the land footprint (LF) and water footprint (WF) of food consumption in the European Union (EU). We estimated the EU LF as 140-222 Mha yr-1 and WF as 569-918 km3 yr-1. These amounts are 5-7% of the global LF and 6-10% of the global WF of agriculture, with the EU representing 6% of the global population. We also calculated the global LF of livestock grazing, accounting only for grass eaten, to be 1,411-1,657 Mha yr-1, and the global LF of agriculture to be 2,809-3,014 Mha yr-1, which is about two-thirds of what the Food and Agriculture Organization Statistics (FAOSTAT) database reports. We discuss here the different methods for calculating the LF for livestock grazing, underscoring the need for a consistent methodology when monitoring the food LF and WF reduction goals set by the EU's Farm To Fork Strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davy Vanham
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy.
| | - Martin Bruckner
- Institute for Ecological Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Florian Schwarzmueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Joep Schyns
- Multidisciplinary Water Management Group, Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Kastner
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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5
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Bernués A, Tenza-Peral A, Gómez-Baggethun E, Clemetsen M, Eik LO, Martín-Collado D. Targeting best agricultural practices to enhance ecosystem services in European mountains. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 316:115255. [PMID: 35576705 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Agri-environmental policies in Europe are failing to sufficiently address ongoing environmental degradation, biodiversity decline, climate impacts, and societal demands for sustainability. To reverse this, policymakers, practitioners, and farmers need better guidance on which specific agricultural practice/s should be promoted and how to adapt current practices to reach the desired objectives. Here we use social valuation tools to elucidate the relationship between agricultural practices and the provision of key ecosystem services in mountains, including maintenance of scenery from agricultural landscapes, conservation of biodiversity, regulation of climate change through carbon sequestration, production of local quality products, maintenance of soil fertility, and prevention of forest wildfires. We use as case studies two contrasting but representative mountain agroecosystems in the Mediterranean and Nordic regions of Europe. We analyze the best agricultural practices in both agroecosystems to reach the targeted environmental outcomes under three plausible policy scenarios. We find significant differences in the average contribution of agricultural practices to ecosystem services provision, which suggest the need for regionalizing the research efforts and, consequently, the design of agri-environmental policies. However, we also identify practices for ecosystem service delivery across policy scenarios and agroecosystems. Among these, grazing and silviculture practices such as extending the grazing period, grazing in semi-natural habitats, grazing in remote and abandoned areas, adapting stocking rate to the carrying capacity, and moving flocks seasonally, stand out for their relevance in all policy scenarios. These results highlight the potential of adequate grazing and silviculture practices to deliver bundles of ecosystem services. Our study provides guidance to design agri-environmental policies in Europe that focus on rewarding farmers for their sustainable management of natural resources, climate change mitigation and adaption and biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bernués
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - A Tenza-Peral
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - E Gómez-Baggethun
- Faculty of Landscape and Society, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, Ås, N-1432, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Sognsveien 68, 0855, Oslo, 0349, Norway.
| | - M Clemetsen
- Faculty of Landscape and Society, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, Ås, N-1432, Norway.
| | - L O Eik
- Faculty of Landscape and Society, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, Ås, N-1432, Norway.
| | - D Martín-Collado
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain.
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6
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Geß A, Tolsdorf A, Ko N. A life cycle perspective of lamb meat production systems from Turkey and the EU. Small Rumin Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2022.106637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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7
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Livestock Management for the Delivery of Ecosystem Services in Fire-Prone Shrublands of Atlantic Iberia. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14052775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, characterized by its humid climate, large rural areas are being abandoned, mostly in less-favoured areas covered by heathlands, which present a low nutritive quality for livestock production. The high combustibility of these shrublands is driving a high wildfire incidence with negative environmental and economic effects. In this review, some aspects on wildfire occurrence and the potential of grazing livestock to reduce woody phytomass and fire risk in heathland-dominated areas whilst maintaining quality production and preserving biodiversity are summarized. Heathlands may be partially improved—converted to grassland—to better meet animals’ nutritional requirements while acting as ‘natural’ firebreaks. The specific grazing behaviour offers the opportunity to combine different domestic herbivores (mixed grazing) to achieve sustainable systems utilizing heterogeneous resources. Cattle, sheep, goats, and horses may have a role in the provision of different ecosystem services such as food production and biodiversity conservation. Genotype x environment interactions shape the ability of animals to cope with poor vegetation conditions, with smaller species and breeds performing better than larger animals. Goats and horses are indicated to arrest woody encroachment. Sustainable grazing systems are affordable in heathland–grassland mosaics by selecting appropriate livestock species and breeds for quality production, thus favouring rural economies and lowering fire risk.
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Aryal K, Maraseni T, Apan A. How much do we know about trade-offs in ecosystem services? A systematic review of empirical research observations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:151229. [PMID: 34715235 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
As an important domain of sustainability science, trade-offs in ecosystem services (ES) is crucial for spatial planning to sustainably manage natural resources while satisfying the needs of local and non-local beneficiaries. However, there is still a growing debate in understanding, characterization, and visualization of the trade-off relationships. This paper systematically reviews a total of 473 articles, published in the last 16 years (2005-2020) through 135 academic journals, based on empirical studies conducted in over 80 countries, and led by the researcher from over 50 countries. Trade-off relationships are often visualized as spatial associations of ES, but very few articles have characterized trade-offs as the causal interaction among ES. More than two-thirds of the studies were carried out in temperate and sub-tropical regions, but we depicted an under-representation of the critical ecosystems in tropics. About 90% of the articles were based on funded research but the involvement of government institutions was very low (<10%). Trade-off analysis was based only on biophysical constraints of the ecosystem, as observed in more than 80% of the selected articles, without due regards of the divergence in utility functions of different stakeholders and ecosystem beneficiaries. This study identifies a total of 198 pairs of conflicting ES, of which the trade-off between crop production and carbon/climate services has the highest records of observation (i.e., as identified by 20% of the total studies). Further, this study identifies the major drivers (i.e., ecological and social) and stakeholders (i.e., land users and government agencies) of trade-off in ES, and major gaps in the analytical approach to understand the trade-off relationships. Based on our findings, we have discussed and recommended a number of research trajectories, including trans-disciplinary research considering both biophysical constraints and utility functions, in order to guide the future direction of sustainability science through the creation of win-win scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kishor Aryal
- University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Queensland, Australia; Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment, Sudoorpaschim Province, Dhangadhi, Nepal
| | - Tek Maraseni
- University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Queensland, Australia; Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Armando Apan
- University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba 4350, Queensland, Australia
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9
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Theodoridis A, Vouraki S, Morin E, Rupérez LR, Davis C, Arsenos G. Efficiency Analysis as a Tool for Revealing Best Practices and Innovations: The Case of the Sheep Meat Sector in Europe. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113242. [PMID: 34827974 PMCID: PMC8614382 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The European sheep meat sector faces technical, market and financial challenges that threaten its economic performance and overall sustainability. At the same time, the sector is characterized by poor and slow adoption of innovations that could help towards facing these challenges. In this study, the technical efficiency of extensive, semi-intensive and intensive sheep meat farms in France, Spain and the UK was explored to reveal the profile of the most efficient ones and identify the best practices and innovations that these farms apply. The most efficient sheep meat farms reared large flocks, used available infrastructure at full capacity and managed human labor in a rational way. These best farms emphasized feeding and grazing innovations, marketing strategies, breeding programs and use of digital technologies. The uptake of such practices and innovations by farms of similar production systems could help to increase the productivity and economic performance of the sheep meat sector. Abstract The slow adoption of innovations is a key challenge that the European sheep sector faces for its sustainability. The future of the sector lies on the adoption of best practices, modern technologies and innovations that can improve its resilience and mitigate its dependence on public support. In this study, the concept of technical efficiency was used to reveal the most efficient sheep meat farms and to identify the best practices and farm innovations that could potentially be adopted by other farms of similar production systems. Data Envelopment Analysis was applied to farm accounting data from 458 sheep meat farms of intensive, semi-intensive and extensive systems from France, Spain and the UK, and the structural and economic characteristics of the most efficient farms were analyzed. These best farmers were indicated through a survey, which was conducted within the Innovation for Sustainable Sheep and Goat Production in the Europe (iSAGE) Horizon 2020 project, the management and production practices and innovations that improve their economic performance and make them better than their peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandros Theodoridis
- Laboratory of Animal Production Economics, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-2310999953
| | - Sotiria Vouraki
- Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (S.V.); (G.A.)
| | - Emmanuel Morin
- Institut de l’Élevage, CS 52637, 31321 Castanet Tolosan, France;
| | | | - Carol Davis
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2TL, UK;
| | - Georgios Arsenos
- Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (S.V.); (G.A.)
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10
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Territorialization of Public Action and Mountain Pastoral Areas—Case Study of the Territorial Pastoral Plans of the Rhône-Alpes Region, France. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13148014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Territorialization aims at improving the effectiveness of public action by adapting to local contexts and including a wide diversity of actors. In the 2000s, the French local authorities, with the support of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), launched more transversal and bottom-up policies on the development of mountain pastoral territories in order to counter national and European sectoral and top-down policies. This article focuses on the Territorial Pastoral Plans (TPPs), a policy of the Rhône-Alpes region, which funds projects defined collaboratively between multiple actors in pastoral territories. The objective is to shed the light on the implementation modalities of the TPPs, and to understand the strengths and weaknesses of this policy in terms of governance to respond to the sustainability challenges of the Rhône-Alpine pastoral territories. A document analysis was achieved and interviews were conducted with nine key actors from four pastoral territories. Results showed that awareness-raising and mediation projects are becoming increasingly important because of the growing conflicts linked to the multi-purpose use of these lands and to wolf predation. Moreover, the integration of environmental actors allows better consideration of ecology in projects. However, the current budgetary restrictions limit their capacity of action within the policy.
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11
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Agricultural Landscape Transformation Needed to Meet Water Quality Goals in the Yahara River Watershed of Southern Wisconsin. Ecosystems 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00668-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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12
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Management to Support Multiple Ecosystem Services from Productive Grasslands. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13116263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Sustainable intensification will require the development of new management systems to support global food demands, whilst conserving the integrity of ecosystem functions. Here, we test and identify management strategies to maintain or enhance agricultural production in grasslands whilst simultaneously supporting the provision of multiple ecosystem services. Over four years, we investigated how the establishment of three plant functional groups (grasses, legumes, and other flowering forbs), using different cultivation (minimum tillage and deep ploughing) and management (cutting, grazing and their intensity) techniques, affected provision and complementarity between key ecosystem services. These ecosystem services were agronomic production, pollination, pest control, food resources for farmland birds, and soil services. We found that the establishment of floristically diverse swards, particularly those containing grasses, legumes and forbs, maximised forage yield and quality, pollinator abundance, soil nitrogen, and bird food resources, as well as enhancing populations of natural predators of pests. Cutting management increased bird food resources and natural predators of pests without depleting other services considered. However, a single management solution to maximise the delivery of all ecosystem services is unlikely to exist, as trade-offs also occurred. Consequently, management options may need to be tailored to strategically support localised deficits in key ecosystem services.
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13
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Insausti K, Beldarrain LR, Lavín MP, Aldai N, Mantecón ÁR, Sáez JL, Canals RM. Horse meat production in northern Spain: ecosystem services and sustainability in High Nature Value farmland. Anim Front 2021; 11:47-54. [PMID: 34026315 PMCID: PMC8127647 DOI: 10.1093/af/vfab003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kizkitza Insausti
- IS-FOOD, School of Agricultural Engineering and Biosciences, Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), 31006 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Lorea R Beldarrain
- Lactiker Research Group, Department of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Mª Paz Lavín
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña, Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-CSIC, 24346 Grulleros, León, Spain
| | - Noelia Aldai
- Lactiker Research Group, Department of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Ángel R Mantecón
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña, Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-CSIC, 24346 Grulleros, León, Spain
| | - José L Sáez
- Instituto Navarro de Tecnologías e Infraestructuras Agroalimentarias-INTIA, Edificio de Peritos, 31610 Villava, Spain
| | - Rosa Ma Canals
- IS-FOOD, School of Agricultural Engineering and Biosciences, Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), 31006 Pamplona, Spain
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14
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Calafat-Marzal C, Gallego-Salguero Á, Segura M, Calvet-Sanz S. GIS-Based and Outranking Approach to Assess Suitable Pig Farming Areas in the Mediterranean Region: Valencian Community. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11041151. [PMID: 33920559 PMCID: PMC8073630 DOI: 10.3390/ani11041151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The livestock sector is the main source of income for the inhabitants of many rural areas, but the environmental problems generated by this industry have led to the emergence of new regulations to make the sector more environmentally friendly. The aim was to identify suitable areas where the livestock sector could be developed, complying with all sectoral standards, and classify the outranking suitable municipalities according to socio-economic, sectoral, and environmental factors. Socio-economic, to make it a key sector for the development of rural areas with depopulation problems; sectoral, to avoid generating health risk; and environmental, to avoid risks of water pollution and degradation of natural and forest areas. The results showed that there was a clear correspondence between the most suitable areas for pig farming and areas with depopulation problems or where rural tourism had not been developed. This information allows the design of public management instruments to prioritise the development of the sector in these areas. Abstract The concentration of livestock production is problematic due to environmental concerns. European regulations are guiding the sector to become increasingly sustainable and, at the same time, maintaining the population in rural areas. The aim was to determine suitable areas in municipalities where livestock is presented as a market option. The methodology applied was based on the combination of multi-criteria methods and geographic information system (GIS) techniques, following three steps: removal of unsuitable zones by sectoral regulations (STEP 1); removal of unsuitable zones due to urban planning, and environmental recommendations (STEP 2); and evaluating the resulting areas depending on the importance of socio-economic, sectoral, and environmental characteristics. This study was based in a Spanish region with ongoing conflicts over land use on the coast but with a high number of rural municipalities at risk of depopulation in the interior. The results showed that 33% of the municipalities of the Valencian Community (VC) had suitable and outranking areas for the development of the swine sector. The 43 municipalities with the highest scores were because of the socio-economic factor and confirmed that suitable livestock development in municipalities with the highest risk of depopulation and low rural tourism activity was a key issue for development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Consuelo Calafat-Marzal
- Departamento de Economía y Ciencias Sociales, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Áurea Gallego-Salguero
- Departamento de Ingeniería Cartográfica, Geodesia y Fotogrametría, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain;
| | - Marina Segura
- Departamento de Economía Financiera y Actuarial y Estadística, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Salvador Calvet-Sanz
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain;
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15
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Sustainability Assessment of Pasture-Based Dairy Sheep Systems: A Multidisciplinary and Multiscale Approach. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13073994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This article describes a novel methodological approach for the integrated sustainability assessment of pasture-based dairy sheep systems. Most studies on livestock system sustainability focus on animal production, farm profitability, and mitigation strategies of greenhouse gas emissions. However, recent research indicates that pasture-based livestock farming also contributes positively to rural areas, and the associated increase in plant diversity promotes ecosystem functioning and services in natural and managed grasslands. Likewise, little attention has focused on how pasture-based livestock systems affect soil carbon changes, biodiversity, and ecotoxicity. Furthermore, the quality and safety of food products, particularly sheep milk and cheese, and socioeconomic issues such as cultural heritage and consumer behavior are often neglected in livestock system sustainability assessments. To improve the analysis of sustainability and adaptation strategies of livestock systems, we suggest a holistic approach that integrates indicators from diverse disciplines with complementary methods and models capable of capturing the complexity of these systems at multiple scales. A multidisciplinary perspective generates new indicators to identify critical trade-offs and synergies related to the resilience of dairy sheep livestock systems. A multiscale approach provides insights on the effects of socioeconomic and environmental changes associated with current dairy sheep grazing systems across multiple scales. The combined approach will facilitate the development and progressive implementation of novel management strategies needed to adapt pasture-based dairy sheep farms to changing conditions under future socioeconomic and environmental scenarios.
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Palumbo F, Squartini A, Barcaccia G, Macolino S, Pornaro C, Pindo M, Sturaro E, Ramanzin M. A multi-kingdom metabarcoding study on cattle grazing Alpine pastures discloses intra-seasonal shifts in plant selection and faecal microbiota. Sci Rep 2021; 11:889. [PMID: 33441587 PMCID: PMC7806629 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79474-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Diet selection by grazing livestock may affect animal performance as well as the biodiversity of grazed areas. Recent DNA barcoding techniques allow to assess dietary plant composition in faecal samples, which may be additionally integrated by the description of gut microbiota. In this high throughput metabarcoding study, we investigated the diversity of plant, fungal and bacterial taxa in faecal samples of lactating cows of two breeds grazing an Alpine semi-natural grassland during summer. The estimated plant composition of the diet comprised 67 genera and 39 species, which varied remarkably during summer, suggesting a decline of the diet forage value with the advancing of the vegetative season. The fungal community included Neocallimastigomycota gut symbionts, but also Ascomycota and Basidiomycota plant parasite and coprophilous taxa, likely ingested during grazing. The proportion of ingested fungi was remarkably higher than in other studies, and varied during summer, although less than that observed for plants. Some variation related to breed was also detected. The gut bacterial taxa remained stable through the summer but displayed a breed-specific composition. The study provided insights in the reciprocal organisms' interactions affecting, and being affected by, the foraging behaviour: plants showed a high temporal variation, fungi a smaller one, while bacteria had practically none; conversely, the same kingdoms showed the opposite gradient of variation as respect to the animal host breed, as bacteria revealed to be the group mostly characterized by host-specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Palumbo
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Squartini
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
| | - Gianni Barcaccia
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Macolino
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Cristina Pornaro
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Massimo Pindo
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM), Via Mach 1, S. Michele All'Adige, 38010, Trento, Italy
| | - Enrico Sturaro
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Maurizio Ramanzin
- Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Campus of Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
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A multi-stakeholder participatory study identifies the priorities for the sustainability of the small ruminants farming sector in Europe. Animal 2020; 15:100131. [PMID: 33536157 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2020.100131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The European small ruminants (i.e. sheep and goats) farming sector (ESRS) provides economic, social and environmental benefits to society, but is also one of the most vulnerable livestock sectors in Europe. This sector has diverse livestock species, breeds, production systems and products, which makes difficult to have a clear vision of its challenges through using conventional analyses. A multi-stakeholder and multi-step approach, including 90 surveys, was used to identify and assess the main challenges for the sustainability of the ESRS to prioritize actions. These challenges and actions were identified by ESRS experts including farmers, cooperatives, breeding associations, advisers and researchers of six EU countries and Turkey. From the 30 identified challenges, the most relevant were economy-related challenges such as 'uncertainty of meat and milk prices', 'volatility of commodity prices', 'low farm income', 'high subsidy dependency' and 'uncertainty in future changes in subsidies' resulting in 'a sector not attractive to young farmers'. Most of these challenges were beyond the farmer's control and perceived as difficult to address. Challenges were prioritized using an index, calculated by multiplying the relevance and the feasibility to address measures. The identified challenges had a similar priority index across the whole sector with small differences across livestock species (sheep vs goats), type of products (meat vs dairy) and intensification levels (intensive vs semi-intensive vs extensive). The priorities were different, however, between socio-geographical regions (Southern vs Central Europe). Some of the top prioritized challenges were linked to aspects related to the production systems ('low promotion of local breeds' and 'slow adaptability of high producing breeds') and market practices ('unfair trade/lack of traceability'). The majority of the priority challenges, however, were associated with a deficient knowledge or training at farm level ('poor business management training', 'lack of professionalization', 'slow adoption of innovations'), academia ('researchers do not address real problems') and society as a whole ('low consumer education in local products', 'low social knowledge about farming', 'poor recognition of farming public services'). Thus, improved collaboration among the different stakeholders across the food chain with special implication of farmers, associations of producers, academia and governments is needed to facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity building. These actions can contribute to make ESRS economically more sustainable and to adapt the production systems and policy to the current and future societal needs in a more region-contextualized framework.
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Schlecht E, Turner MD, Hülsebusch CG, Buerkert A. Managing Rangelands Without Herding? Insights From Africa and Beyond. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.549954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In many parts of the world, the utilization of rangelands is based on the targeted movement of herds within and across often vast territories. Crucial for the success of these livestock operations are decisions on how to flexibly allocate animals to the existing vegetation, both in terms of numbers and concentrations, and in space and time. Research from large scale ranching in the prairies of the Americas, and nomadic or transhumant livestock systems in Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, suggests that the more precisely specific patches of vegetation at a specific development stage can be targeted, the more beneficial will be the outcome in terms of animal nutrition and productivity. This also holds for the provision of environmental services such as aboveground net primary production, biodiversity preservation, and soil fertility. However, herding requires year-round labor investment, and in rural areas where seasonal migration is an important livelihood strategy, herding may suffer from absence of skilled workforce. Additional obstacles are political neglect and land use competition, insecurity, reduced self-ownership rates of herds, partial social isolation of herders, and hardship of the work. These make herding an increasingly unpopular occupation, especially for the young generation, but there are also factors that drive (young) people to take up or continue this profession. Reduced herding efforts, reflected in the reluctance to utilize remote grazing areas, may lead to overstocking of favorable pastures. This increases the risk of pasture degradation, long-term reduced herd productivity, social conflict, and public criticism of pastoralism as an anachronistic lifestyle and detrimental land stewardship, thereby further fueling the erosion of herding. By reviewing studies from Africa, the Middle East, and southern and eastern Asia, and including some insights from Europe and southern America, we discuss the ecosystem services produced by herding and herd mobility, and reflect on the ecological and social consequences of the loss of herding labor. Highlighting aspects that speak for this occupation at the individual level, we conclude by suggesting interventions that may sustain the herding profession, such as facilitation of labor sharing, labor contracts, improved herder security, and societal payments for ecological and cultural services.
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Dumont B, Modernel P, Benoit M, Ruggia A, Soca P, Dernat S, Tournadre H, Dogliotti S, Rossing WA. Mobilizing Ecological Processes for Herbivore Production: Farmers and Researchers Learning Together. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.544828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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Geß A, Viola I, Miretti S, Macchi E, Perona G, Battaglini L, Baratta M. A New Approach to LCA Evaluation of Lamb Meat Production in Two Different Breeding Systems in Northern Italy. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:651. [PMID: 33134342 PMCID: PMC7549392 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Lamb meat production provides vital landscape-management and ecosystem services; however, ruminant farming produces a considerable share of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. To measure and compare the advantages and disadvantages of the intensification of livestock farming, an integrative analysis was conducted in this study by combining environmental impact analysis and animal welfare assessment. This approach is the first of its kind and is the innovative aspect of this paper. The methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) entails the holistic analysis of various impact categories and the associated emission quantities of products, services, and resources over their life cycle, including resource extraction and processing, production processes, transport, usage, and the end of life. The outlines of LCA are standardized in DIN EN ISO 14040/14044. To assess the environmental impacts of the production of lamb meat in northern Italy, two case studies were undertaken using the LCA software GaBi. The analysis is based on primary data from two sheep-breeding systems (semi-extensive and semi-intensive in alpine and continental bioregions, respectively) combined with inventory data from the GaBi database and data from the literature. The assessment was conducted for the functional unit of 1 kg of lamb meat and focuses on the impact categories global warming potential, acidification potential, and eutrophication potential. For an overall evaluation of the supply chain, we have also considered a parameter indicating animal welfare, in keeping with consumer concerns, employing an analysis of chronic stress as shown by cortisol accumulation. The goal is to derive models and recommendations for an efficient, more sustainable use of resources without compromising animal welfare, meat quality, and competitiveness. The aim of this study is to provide a standard for individualized sustainability analyses for European lamb production systems in the future. From the LCA perspective, the more intensive case-study farm showed a lower impact in global impact factors and a higher impact in local impact categories in comparison with the more extensively run farm that was studied. From the animal welfare perspective, lower amounts of the stress hormone cortisol were found on the extensively managed case-study farm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Geß
- Department of Life Cycle Engineering, Institute for Acoustics and Building Physics, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Irene Viola
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Silvia Miretti
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Macchi
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Giovanni Perona
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Luca Battaglini
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Mario Baratta
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
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The Contribution of Traditional Meat Goat Farming Systems to Human Wellbeing and Its Importance for the Sustainability of This Livestock Subsector. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12031181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Traditional meat goat farming systems are characterized by rearing autochthonous breeds and using natural resources through grazing, often within protected natural areas. In a context of reduction of the number of farms, due to the low income derived from the sale of kids, the role of those systems as suppliers of presently non-remunerated ecosystem services becomes more relevant. The objective of this article is to analyze the current situation of those systems, focusing on their connection with human wellbeing, and to formulate proposals that can contribute to guaranteeing their profitability and continuity. A technical-economic and environmental study of a sample of farms and an analysis of the limiting factors affecting the subsector were carried out. As a result, a set of multifactorial problems was identified, with the lack of acknowledgement and remuneration of some services—mainly environmental and cultural—provided by those systems and the low selling price of kids standing as the main threats. The consideration of meat goat farms as “producers of meat of high functional quality and providers of ecosystem services”, which should be properly quantified and remunerated, would contribute to their preservation and guarantee the provision of benefits associated with the activity.
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Tourists and Local Stakeholders’ Perception of Ecosystem Services Provided by Summer Farms in the Eastern Italian Alps. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12031095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the Alps, summer farms are temporary units, where cattle are moved during summer to graze on Alpine pastures, which provide multiple ecosystem services (ESs), many of which do not have a market value. This study aimed at understanding and comparing the perceptions of summer farms and of the associated ESs by local stakeholders and tourists in a study area of the province of Trento in the eastern Italian Alps. Thirty-five online questionnaires and two focus groups were realized with local stakeholders involved in the dairy value-chain. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 405 tourists in two representative summer farms. The perceptions of summer farms differed between local stakeholders, who mainly focused on provisioning ESs, and tourists, who mainly focused on cultural and regulating ESs. Both categories of actors rated positively eight different ESs associated with summer farms, but demonstrated a lack of knowledge of specific regulating ESs. This study showed that discussion among the different actors is required to increase mutual knowledge and to grasp the diversity of links between summer farms and ESs, in order to support public policies and private initiatives for promoting summer farm products and the sustainable development of mountain regions.
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Alternative Approaches of Summer Milk Sales from Transhumant Sheep and Goat Farms: A Case Study from Northern Greece. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11205642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sheep and goat transhumance provides a wide range of ecosystem services (ES). Transhumance-specific dairy products could function as a nexus between the system and the public, incorporating ES which are not remunerated in markets, but in Greece, there are actually no such dairy products. Within this context, the objective of this paper was to present a case study regarding a comparative assessment of three different approaches (supply chains) in milk sales from transhumant farms. The first involved production of cheese on-farm and direct sales to consumers. In the second approach, farmers sold their milk to the same industry throughout the year, where it was mixed with milk from non-transhumant farms. The third approach concerned cheese produced solely from milk of transhumant flocks in a small dairy in the highlands. An assessment framework was developed examining the perceived quality; economic performance of farms; compatibility and; representativeness and contribution of each approach. Based on five in-depth interviews with farmers and dairies, it was found that a combination of the three approaches would be beneficial for farms—to decrease risks—and for the system as a whole, in order to convey the ‘agro-pastoral message’ to wider audiences and to increase the recognisability of transhumance. In addition, the analysis showed that the economic performance of each approach was related more to managerial issues and organizational requirements rather than to the achievement of higher prices and more added value in the first and third approach.
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Past intensification trajectories of livestock led to mixed social and environmental services. Animal 2019; 14:598-608. [PMID: 31466546 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731119001952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies highlighted the multiple positive and negative contributions of livestock to society. Livestock production, through its direct and indirect impacts on land use, is an important driver of services provision. Although a few studies provide an account on the multiple services in different livestock systems, there is still an important knowledge gap on the drivers that contribute to the differentiation of services provisioning across areas. We investigated the hypothesis that the current level of services has derived from past intensification trajectories of livestock. The objective of this study was to understand the influences of past changes in livestock, land-use and socio-economic variables on the current provision of social, environmental and cultural services by the livestock sector in France. We combined a long-term country-wide database on livestock intensification between 1938 and 2010 and a database on services provisioning in 2010. We used a set of multivariate methods to simultaneously analyse the changes in livestock intensification from 1938 to 2010 and the current level of services provisioning. Our analysis focused on a set of 60 French departments where livestock play a significant economic role in agricultural production. Our study revealed that the provision of services was spatially structured and based on three groups of departments, characterised by different rates of change in intensification variables. In the first group, 'Intensive livestock areas', the high level of employment in the livestock sector was mainly associated with high rates of change in monogastric stocking rates (+1045%) and milk productivity (+451%). In the second group, 'Extensive livestock areas', the high levels of environmental and cultural services were mainly associated with moderate rates of change in herbivores stocking rate (+95%) and the stability of grassland area (+13%). In the third group, 'Transition areas', the low provision of all services was associated with the decline in livestock due to crop expansion. This study provides knowledge to understand how past changes determined the current contribution of livestock areas in providing differentiated bundles of services, which might help steer the development of the current livestock sector towards more sustainable trajectories.
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Ryschawy J, Dumont B, Therond O, Donnars C, Hendrickson J, Benoit M, Duru M. Review: An integrated graphical tool for analysing impacts and services provided by livestock farming. Animal 2019; 13:1760-1772. [PMID: 30827290 PMCID: PMC6639722 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731119000351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Livestock farming is criticized for negatively impacting the environment, concerns about animal welfare and the impact of excessive meat consumption on human health. However, livestock farming provides other underappreciated and poorly communicated benefits to society in terms of employment, product quality, cultural landscapes and carbon storage by grasslands. Few attempts have been made so far to simultaneously consider the services and impacts provided by livestock production. Here, we propose an integrated graphical tool, called the 'barn' to explicitly summarize the synergies and trade-offs between services and impacts provided by livestock farming. It illustrates livestock farming interacting with its physical, economic and social environment along five interfaces: (i) Markets, (ii) Work and employment, (iii) Inputs, (iv) Environment and climate, (v) Social and cultural factors. This graphical tool was then applied by comparing two contrasting livestock production areas (high livestock density v. grassland-based), and the dominant v. a niche system within a crop-livestock area. We showed the barn could be used for cross-comparisons of services and impacts across livestock production areas, and for multi-level analysis of services and impacts of livestock farming within a given area. The barn graphically summarizes the ecological and socio-economic aspects of livestock farming by explicitly representing multiple services and impacts of different systems in a simple yet informative way. Information for the five interfaces relies on available quantitative assessments from the literature or data sets, and on expert-knowledge for more qualitative factors, such as social and cultural ones. The 'barn' can also inform local stakeholders or policy-makers about potential opportunities and threats to the future of livestock farming in specific production areas. It has already been used as a pedagogical tool for teaching the diversity of services and impacts of livestock systems across Europe and is currently developed as a serious game for encouraging knowledge exchange and sharing different viewpoints between stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Ryschawy
- UMR AGIR, Université de Toulouse, INRA, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - B. Dumont
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRA, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
| | - O. Therond
- Université de Lorraine, INRA, LAE, F-68000 Colmar, France
| | | | - J. Hendrickson
- USDA-ARS, Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 459, Mandan, ND 58554-0459, USA
| | - M. Benoit
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRA, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
| | - M. Duru
- UMR AGIR, Université de Toulouse, INRA, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
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Dumont B, Ryschawy J, Duru M, Benoit M, Chatellier V, Delaby L, Donnars C, Dupraz P, Lemauviel-Lavenant S, Méda B, Vollet D, Sabatier R. Review: Associations among goods, impacts and ecosystem services provided by livestock farming. Animal 2019; 13:1773-1784. [PMID: 30333070 PMCID: PMC6639720 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731118002586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Livestock is a major driver in most rural landscapes and economics, but it also polarises debate over its environmental impacts, animal welfare and human health. Conversely, the various services that livestock farming systems provide to society are often overlooked and have rarely been quantified. The aim of analysing bundles of services is to chart the coexistence and interactions between the various services and impacts provided by livestock farming, and to identify sets of ecosystem services (ES) that appear together repeatedly across sites and through time. We review three types of approaches that analyse associations among impacts and services from local to global scales: (i) detecting ES associations at system or landscape scale, (ii) identifying and mapping bundles of ES and impacts and (iii) exploring potential drivers using prospective scenarios. At a local scale, farming practices interact with landscape heterogeneity in a multi-scale process to shape grassland biodiversity and ES. Production and various ES provided by grasslands to farmers, such as soil fertility, biological regulations and erosion control, benefit to some extent from the functional diversity of grassland species, and length of pasture phase in the crop rotation. Mapping ES from the landscape up to the EU-wide scale reveals a frequent trade-off between livestock production on one side and regulating and cultural services on the other. Maps allow the identification of target areas with higher ecological value or greater sensitivity to risks. Using two key factors (livestock density and the proportion of permanent grassland within utilised agricultural area), we identified six types of European livestock production areas characterised by contrasted bundles of services and impacts. Livestock management also appeared to be a key driver of bundles of services in prospective scenarios. These scenarios simulate a breakaway from current production, legislation (e.g. the use of food waste to fatten pigs) and consumption trends (e.g. halving animal protein consumption across Europe). Overall, strategies that combine a reduction of inputs, of the use of crops from arable land to feed livestock, of food waste and of meat consumption deliver a more sustainable food future. Livestock as part of this sustainable future requires further enhancement, quantification and communication of the services provided by livestock farming to society, which calls for the following: (i) a better targeting of public support, (ii) more precise quantification of bundles of services and (iii) better information to consumers and assessment of their willingness to pay for these services.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Dumont
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRA, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
| | - J. Ryschawy
- UMR AGIR, INRA, Université de Toulouse, INPT, 31324 Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - M. Duru
- UMR AGIR, INRA, Université de Toulouse, INPT, 31324 Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - M. Benoit
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRA, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
| | - V. Chatellier
- UMRSMART-LERECO, Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, 44000 Nantes, France
| | - L. Delaby
- PEGASE, Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, 35590 Saint-Gilles, France
| | | | - P. Dupraz
- UMR SMART-LERECO, Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, 35000 Rennes, France
| | | | - B. Méda
- BOA, INRA, Université de Tours, 37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - D. Vollet
- Université Clermont Auvergne, AgroParisTech, INRA, Irstea, VetAgro Sup, UMR Territoires, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - R. Sabatier
- UR Ecodéveloppement, INRA, 84914 Avignon, France
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Lynch J, Pierrehumbert R. Climate impacts of cultured meat and beef cattle. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2019; 3. [PMID: 31535087 DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2019.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Improved greenhouse gas (GHG) emission efficiency of production has been proposed as one of the biggest potential advantages of cultured meat over conventional livestock production systems. Comparisons with beef are typically highlighted, as it is a highly emissions intensive food product. In this study we present a more rigorous comparison of the potential climate impacts of cultured meat and cattle production than has previously been made. Warming impacts are evaluated using a simple climate model that simulates the different behaviours of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), rather than relying on carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) metrics. We compare the temperature impact of beef cattle and cultured meat production at all times to 1000 years in the future, using four synthetic meat GHG footprints currently available in the literature and three different beef production systems studied in an earlier climate modelling paper. Cattle systems are associated with the production of all three GHGs above, including significant emissions of CH4, while cultured meat emissions are almost entirely CO2 from energy generation. Under continuous high global consumption, cultured meat results in less warming than cattle initially, but this gap narrows in the long term and in some cases cattle production causes far less warming, as CH4 emissions do not accumulate, unlike CO2. We then model a decline in meat consumption to more sustainable levels following high consumption, and show that although cattle systems generally result in greater peak warming than cultured meat, the warming effect declines and stabilises under the new emission rates of cattle systems, while the CO2 based warming from cultured meat persists and accumulates even under reduced consumption, again overtaking cattle production in some scenarios. We conclude that cultured meat is not prima facie climatically superior to cattle production; its relative impact instead depends on the availability of decarbonised energy generation and the specific production systems that are realised.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Lynch
- Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Raymond Pierrehumbert
- Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Firbank LG, Elliott J, Field RH, Lynch JM, Peach WJ, Ramsden S, Turner C. Assessing the performance of commercial farms in England and Wales: Lessons for supporting the sustainable intensification of agriculture. Food Energy Secur 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/fes3.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Stephen Ramsden
- School of Biosciences; University of Nottingham; Nottingham UK
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Review: Make ruminants green again - how can sustainable intensification and agroecology converge for a better future? Animal 2018; 12:s210-s219. [PMID: 30139401 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731118001350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Livestock farming systems provide multiple benefits to humans: protein-rich diets that contribute to food security, employment and rural economies, capital stock and draught power in many developing countries and cultural landscape all around the world. Despite these positive contributions to society, livestock is also the centre of many controversies as regards to its environmental impacts, animal welfare and health outcomes related to excessive meat consumption. Here, we review the potentials of sustainable intensification (SI) and agroecology (AE) in the design of sustainable ruminant farming systems. We analyse the two frameworks in a historical perspective and show that they are underpinned by different values and worldviews about food consumption patterns, the role of technology and our relationship with nature. Proponents of SI see the increase in animal protein demand as inevitable and therefore aim at increasing production from existing farmland to limit further encroachment into remaining natural ecosystems. Sustainable intensification can thus be seen as an efficiency-oriented framework that benefits from all forms of technological development. Proponents of AE appear more open to dietary shifts towards less animal protein consumption to rebalance the whole food system. Agroecology promotes system redesign, benefits from functional diversity and aims at providing regulating and cultural services. We analyse the main criticisms of the two frameworks: Is SI sustainable? How much can AE contribute to feeding the world? Indeed, in SI, social justice has long lacked attention notably with respect to resource allocation within and between generations. It is only recently that some of its proponents have indicated that there is room to include more diversified systems and food-system transformation perspectives and to build socially fair governance systems. As no space is available for agricultural land expansion in many areas, agroecological approaches that emphasise the importance of local production should also focus more on yield increases from agricultural land. Our view is that new technologies and strict certifications offer opportunities for scaling-up agroecological systems. We stress that the key issue for making digital science part of the agroecological transition is that it remains at a low cost and is thus accessible to smallholder farmers. We conclude that SI and AE could converge for a better future by adopting transformative approaches in the search for ecologically benign, socially fair and economically viable ruminant farming systems.
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31
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Abstract
This study investigates how the ecosystem services (ES) linked to livestock grazing are perceived across countries. A total of 82 case studies collected from 42 countries via survey (53.7% cases from Europe and 46.3% from outside of Europe) have been analysed through a multivariate approach. In all, 18 non-provisioning ES were considered. Overall, the reported impacts of livestock grazing on the different ES were much more positive than negative. Notably, a large proportion of respondents reported either positive or very positive impacts for some cultural ES, namely cultural, historic and natural heritage (84%), knowledge systems and educational values (77%), landscape values (74%), and for some supporting and regulating ES, namely habitat provision (66%), nutrient cycling (65%), and bush encroachment/fire control (66%). Based on multiple regression analysis, geographic origin, stakeholder type and species category, as well as protection status of the grazing area, had significant effects on the perception of the impacts. Respondents reported those impacts as more positive in Europe, in protected areas and where several species were present in the grazing area. A significantly larger proportion of respondents reported recognition of ES provided by the grazing livestock population in European countries (40.9%) compared with non-European countries (23.7%). Based on the survey responses it appears that in non-European countries absence of formal recognition, especially by policy makers, is a major challenge for the continued provision of ES in grazing systems. In Europe, where such recognition is already often included in legislation, the long-term sustainability of related policies and incentives to provide such services is viewed as a major issue by the respondents.
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Siegrist M, Sütterlin B, Hartmann C. Perceived naturalness and evoked disgust influence acceptance of cultured meat. Meat Sci 2018; 139:213-219. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Gaglio M, Aschonitis VG, Mancuso MM, Reyes Puig JP, Moscoso F, Castaldelli G, Fano EA. Changes in land use and ecosystem services in tropical forest areas: a case study in Andes mountains of Ecuador. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIODIVERSITY SCIENCE, ECOSYSTEM SERVICES & MANAGEMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/21513732.2017.1345980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mattias Gaglio
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Evolutionary Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Vassilis George Aschonitis
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Evolutionary Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marta Maria Mancuso
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Evolutionary Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | - Francisco Moscoso
- School of Geography, Pontificia Univerisidad Catolica del Ecuador (PUCE), Quito, Ecuador
| | - Giuseppe Castaldelli
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Evolutionary Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Elisa Anna Fano
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Evolutionary Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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Assessing multiple goods and services derived from livestock farming on a nation-wide gradient. Animal 2017; 11:1861-1872. [PMID: 28490393 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731117000829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Livestock farming is an essential activity in many rural areas, where it contributes to the maintenance of soil fertility and farmland biodiversity, as well as to a set of social public goods including food security, rural vitality and culture. However, livestock sustainability assessments tend to focus primarily on environmental and economic dimensions; therefore, these valuations might be limited because they do not consider the complete set of associated goods and services (GS). Hence, a need exists to recognise the multiple contributions provided by livestock to human well-being and society. The objective of this study was to analyse the provision of multiple GS derived from livestock across regions in France and empirically demonstrate sets of GS that repeatedly appeared together. We designated these multiple GS provided by livestock as contributions to productive, environmental, rural vitality and cultural benefits that human populations derive directly or indirectly from livestock agroecosystems. First, we combined expert knowledge with results of a literature review to define a bundle of GS provided by livestock. We then described indicators that quantified each good or service and screened national databases to determine the availability of supporting data. Finally, we assessed the GS and their relationships (synergies or trade-offs) on a nation-wide gradient in France at the department level (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics 3). Four main categories of GS were considered: provisioning (e.g. food quantity and quality), environmental quality (e.g. biodiversity, landscape heterogeneity, water quality), rural vitality (e.g. employment, rural dynamism) and culture (e.g. gastronomy and landscape heritage). Four major types of GS bundles were identified, which suggested strong contrasts among French rural areas in terms of the nature of the GS that occurred together and their levels of provision. GS bundles in France had a non-random spatial distribution. This study represents an initial step towards developing a methodology to consider GS bundles provided by livestock. Nonetheless, further research is needed to understand socio-economic, environmental, political and geographic determinants of the composition of GS bundles.
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Palomo I, Felipe-Lucia MR, Bennett EM, Martín-López B, Pascual U. Disentangling the Pathways and Effects of Ecosystem Service Co-Production. ADV ECOL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2015.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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36
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McMahon BJ, Wall PG, Fanning S, Fahey AG. Targets to increase food production: One Health implications. Infect Ecol Epidemiol 2015; 5:27708. [PMID: 25912031 PMCID: PMC4410110 DOI: 10.3402/iee.v5.27708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing world population means that there is a requirement to expand global food production. Looking at the Republic of Ireland as an example, the risks and opportunities associated with the expansion of food production are outlined, particularly in relation to zoonoses transmission. A One Health approach to sustainable food production is required to avert a potential public health problem associated with increased agricultural expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry J McMahon
- UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland;
| | - Patrick G Wall
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Séamus Fanning
- UCD Centre for Food Safety, UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Alan G Fahey
- UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
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Duru M, Theau J, Martin G. A methodological framework to facilitate analysis of ecosystem services provided by grassland-based livestock systems. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIODIVERSITY SCIENCE, ECOSYSTEM SERVICES & MANAGEMENT 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/21513732.2015.1030695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- M. Duru
- INRA, UMR1248 AGIR, F-31320 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Université Toulouse, INPT, UMR AGIR, F-31029 Toulouse, France
| | - J.P. Theau
- INRA, UMR1248 AGIR, F-31320 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Université Toulouse, INPT, UMR AGIR, F-31029 Toulouse, France
| | - G. Martin
- INRA, UMR1248 AGIR, F-31320 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Université Toulouse, INPT, UMR AGIR, F-31029 Toulouse, France
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Bernués A, Rodríguez-Ortega T, Ripoll-Bosch R, Alfnes F. Socio-cultural and economic valuation of ecosystem services provided by Mediterranean mountain agroecosystems. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102479. [PMID: 25036276 PMCID: PMC4103832 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this work was to elucidate the socio-cultural and economic value of a number of ecosystem services delivered by mountain agroecosystems (mostly grazing systems) in Euro-Mediterranean regions. We combined deliberative (focus groups) and survey-based stated-preference methods (choice modelling) to, first, identify the perceptions of farmers and other citizens on the most important ecosystem services and, second, to value these in economic terms according to the willingness to pay of the local (residents of the study area) and general (region where the study area is located) populations. Cultural services (particularly the aesthetic and recreational values of the landscape), supporting services (biodiversity maintenance) and some regulating services (particularly fire risk prevention) were clearly recognized by both farmers and citizens, with different degrees of importance according to their particular interests and objectives. The prevention of forest fires (≈50% of total willingness to pay) was valued by the general population as a key ecosystem service delivered by these agroecosystems, followed by the production of specific quality products linked to the territory (≈20%), biodiversity (≈20%) and cultural landscapes (≈10%). The value given by local residents to the last two ecosystem services differed considerably (≈10 and 25% for biodiversity and cultural landscape, respectively). The Total Economic Value of mountain agroecosystems was ≈120 € person−1 year−1, three times the current level of support of agro-environmental policies. By targeting and quantifying the environmental objectives of the European agri-environmental policy and compensating farmers for the public goods they deliver, the so-called “green” subsidies may become true Payments for Ecosystems Services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Bernués
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University or Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- Departamento de Tecnología en Producción Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Tamara Rodríguez-Ortega
- Departamento de Tecnología en Producción Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Raimon Ripoll-Bosch
- Departamento de Tecnología en Producción Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain
- Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Frode Alfnes
- School of Economics and Business, Norwegian University or Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
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Editorial: Agroecology for producing goods and services in sustainable animal farming systems. Animal 2014; 8:1201-3. [DOI: 10.1017/s1751731114001554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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40
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Towards an agroecological assessment of dairy systems: proposal for a set of criteria suited to mountain farming. Animal 2014; 8:1349-60. [DOI: 10.1017/s1751731114000925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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