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Along its route through the agro-food system nitrogen (N) can be wasted, heightening diverse environmental problems. Geopolitical instabilities affect prices of N fertilisers and livestock feed, challenging production systems and increasing their need to reduce N waste. The analysis of N flows is essential to understanding the agroenvironmental performance of agro-food systems to detect leakages and to design strategies for reducing N pollution while producing feed and food. Sectorial analyses can mislead conclusions, prompting the need for integrated approaches. We present a multiscale analysis of N flows for the 1990-2015 period to identify both the strengths and weaknesses of the Spanish agro-food system. We constructed N budgets at three system scales, namely crop, livestock and the agro-food system, and at two spatial scales: national and regional (50 provinces). The big picture shows a country with increasing crop (575 to 634 GgN/yr) and livestock (138 to 202 GgN/yr, edible) production and nitrogen use efficiency improvements, especially for certain crop and livestock categories. Nevertheless, this falls short of reducing agricultural surpluses (812 GgN/yr) and external dependency, which is closely related to the externalisation of certain environmental impacts (system NUE, from 31 % to 19 % considering externalisation). The regional picture shows the contrasted operation between provinces, assigned to three agro-food system categories: fuelled by synthetic fertiliser (29 provinces), grassland inputs to livestock (5 provinces) or the net import of feed (16 provinces). Regional specialisation on crop or livestock production was reinforced, hampering good recirculation of N through livestock feed from regional cropland and their N fertilisation by regional livestock excretion. We conclude that pollution and external dependency need to be further reduced in Spain. To do so, the big picture of the full system is paramount but must be adapted to the regional particularities., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The UK Government has set an ambitious target of achieving a national "net-zero" greenhouse gas economy by 2050. Agriculture is arguably placed at the heart of achieving net zero, as it plays a unique role as both a producer of GHG emissions and a sector that has the capacity via land use to capture carbon (C) when managed appropriately, thus reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Agriculture's importance, particularly in a UK-specific perspective, which is also applicable to many other temperate climate nations globally, is that the majority of land use nationwide is allocated to farming. Here, we present a systematic review based on peer-reviewed literature and relevant "grey" reports to address the question "how can the agricultural sector in the UK reduce, or offset, its direct agricultural emissions at the farm level?" We considered the implications of mitigation measures in terms of food security and import reliance, energy, environmental degradation, and value for money. We identified 52 relevant studies covering major foods produced and consumed in the UK. Our findings indicate that many mitigation measures can indeed contribute to net zero through GHG emissions reduction, offsetting, and bioenergy production, pending their uptake by farmers. While the environmental impacts of mitigation measures were covered well within the reviewed literature, corresponding implications regarding energy, food security, and farmer attitudes towards adoption received scant attention. We also provide an open-access, informative, and comprehensive dataset for agri-environment stakeholders and policymakers to identify the most promising mitigation measures. This research is of critical value to researchers, land managers, and policymakers as an interim guideline resource while more quantitative evidence becomes available through the ongoing lab-, field-, and farm-scale trials which will improve the reliability of agricultural sustainability modelling in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With climate change impacting agricultural practices globally, the potential of sorghum as a forage crop for dairy cattle has triggered attention. This paper is presenting a literature review on economic importance of sorghum, the research carried out in Romanian space and a brief analysis on the nutritional and economic importance of using green sorghum as forage for dairy cattle in the context of climate change. Scientific literature highlights the adaptability of different sorghum hybrids to local conditions and their production potential, demonstrating that optimized crop management techniques can significantly improve sorghum yield and nutritional quality. The projected economic results of the average size farm of 100 milking cows, with an average production of 5,000 liters of milk/year/head, indicate obtaining of 230,875.5 euro as total income, of which 211,267.61 euro from milk. Forages cost is of 0.23 euro/liter of milk of a total cost of 0.39 euro/liter and the minimum net profit rate of 9.8% per year. Total necessary surface for producing all forages in the farm is of 110.45 ha, but if the farmer purchases all concentrated forages (including grain corn), the surfaces reduce at 72.27 ha. Our analysis has shown that including sorghum in summer and winter rations for dairy cows can meet nutrient and protein requirements while keeping costs reasonable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock production is confronted with significant challenges across all dimensions of sustainability. There is an urgent need to identify sustainable livestock systems that are environmentally friendly, economically viable for farmers, and socially acceptable. To this end, diversity assessments and data-driven indicator-based sustainability assessments can be helpful tools. These two mutually reinforcing approaches each have their own dilemmas and strengths; however, their combination is not straightforward. In this paper, we propose a method that simultaneously assesses the diversity and sustainability of production systems within one agricultural sector, without compromising either aspect, while overcoming the dilemmas of diversity and sustainability assessments. We test our method on the Walloon dairy and beef sectors (Belgium) and base our assessment on data from the European Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). We apply relevant classification criteria to the sample farms to group them into production systems. The core data was complemented with calculated environmental indicators to perform a comprehensive sustainability assessment, including structural, socio-economic, and environmental indicators. Our results confirm the importance of complementing sustainability assessments with diversity assessments. Our case study results show that a diversity of livestock systems coexist and that it is possible to overcome trade-offs between economic and environmental performances. Extensive grass-based systems present the best combination of economic and environmental results, which highlights the importance of preserving grassland resources at the regional level. The proposed method proves effective to improve the relevance of FADN data and supports the ongoing call to transform the FADN into a more comprehensive database that satisfactorily covers all dimensions of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Algeria, the camel is one of the greatest riches and resource reservoirs of the Saharan territory. Compared to other farm animals, this species was relegated to the background, despite a past that testifies to a preponderant role in a hostile environment. Due to its legendary sobriety, it is the emblematic animal of the merchant caravan and is renowned for its versatility. It appears as an excellent means of locomotion, saddle, with interesting traction capacities in addition to being endowed with remarkable strength for plowing and the use of noria or delou. Today, the increase in numbers has been accompanied by changes in production systems, while the notable increase in the demand for camel products revealed by the socio-economic changes in nomadic communities, in terms of education and health, has contributed to modifying animal husbandry practices. Indeed, the emergence of new specialized camel systems has disrupted the habits that are now reflected in an increased interest in both the systems adopted and the products related to them. The future of the dromedary would be projected according to dimensions of renewal; the camel sector, local products, and camel services are many assets to consider. It is in this perspective that the present contribution, as a synthesis, attempts to highlight camel breeding in the Algerian Northern Sahara. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to evaluate and compare the yield performance and quality of Tithonia diversifolia forage under different harvesting heights, during the dry and rainy seasons in tropical Mexico. The treatments consisted of three harvest heights 40, 60 and 80 cm from the ground level, cut every 60 days, during two seasons of the year. In each period, the biomass was harvested and separated into edible and non-edible components. We determined the biomass yield, and the concentration of crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), lignin, ash and organic matter (OM) of the forage. Cutting at 80 cm height yielded the highest forage biomass per harvest (2 008 kg DM ha−1) while there were no significant differences in forage yield between 40 and 60 cm heights. The differences in cutting heights also affected the nutrient quality of the animal edible forage because the concentrations of CP, ADF and NDF varied significantly. There was a significant interaction between cutting heights and the season on forage production and quality. In the dry season, the content of NDF, FDA, lignin and ash were higher, while the PC and OM were lower. The use of T. diversifolia as a forage plant and cutting it to a height of 80 cm is recommended to maintain the best production and the quality of the forage throughout the year for livestock production.

Worldwide greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reached 59 Gt of CO 2 eq in 2019 and agricultural soils are the primary source of N 2 O emissions. Life cycle assessments (LCA) have been successful in assessing GHG from agricultural systems. However, no review and harmonization attempt has been focused on soil N 2 O emissions, despite the need to improve LCA methodologies for assessing GHG in agricultural LCA. We therefore undertook a review and harmonization of existing methods to account for soil N 2 O emissions in LCA of agricultural systems and products: i) to compare current methods used in LCA; ii) to identify advantages and iii) disadvantages of each method in LCA; iv) to suggest recommendations for LCA of agricultural systems; v) to identify research needs and potential methodological developments to account for soil N 2 O emissions in the LCA of agricultural systems. In this paper, we consider as soil N 2 O emissions, those originated from soils in relation to fertilisers (organic and manufactured), crop residues, land use/land management change, grassland management, manure and slurry applications and from grazing animals. The approach adopted was based on two anonymous expert surveys and a series of expert workshops (n = 21) to define general and specific criteria to review LCA methods for GHG emissions used in LCA of agricultural systems. A broad list of keywords and search criteria was used as the research involved GHG assessment in agricultural LCA. Reviewed papers and methodology were then assessed by LCA and soil N 2 O emission experts (n = 14). >25,000 scientific papers and reports were identified, 1175 were screened, 263 included in the final review and 31 scientific papers were related to soil N 2 O emissions. The results showed that a high level of accuracy corresponded to a low level of applicability and vice versa, following the assessment framework developed in this work through participatory approaches. The choice of LCA methods, critical for high quality LCA of agricultural systems, should be based on the assessment objectives, data availability and expertise of the LCA practitioner. However, it is preferable to use DNDC model after calibration and validation or direct field measurements, considering system effects. When necessary data are lacking, IPCC tier 2 methodology where available should be used, otherwise 2019 IPCC Tier 1 methodology. This LCA method development should be synchronous with improvements of quantification methods and the assessment of a wider range of agricultural management practices and systems. [Display omitted] • Methods used in life cycle assessment (LCA) of agricultural systems to account for soil N 2 O need to be improved. • A method harmonization was carried out and recommendations for soil N 2 O emissions were identified in agricultural LCA. • The results showed that a high level of accuracy corresponded to a low level of applicability and vice versa. • DNDC, DAYCENT and direct measurements scores high on accuracy to assess soil N 2 O emissions in LCA of agricultural systems. • Alternative to DNDC and measurements are IPCC Tier 1 or 2 methodologies to assess soil N 2 O emissions in agricultural LCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The information of how the high climatic variability in the south‐west Buenos Aires Province (SWBS) region, Argentina, impacts on existing cow–calf operations is needed. This research uses a combination of quantitative (modelling) and qualitative (workshops) methodologies. The objective was to assess, under interannual climate variability, the productive and economic performance and greenhouse gas emissions and the marginal value of additional feed of four cow–calf systems arranged as a potential farm innovation path in the SWBS, Argentina. Modelling results showed that along this technological path where forage crops are decreased, perennial pastures are increased and anticipated weaning is included, productive and economic outcomes increased and the emission intensity decreased. How extra feeds may be used to cope with seasonal and interannual feeding was also identified. Moreover, barriers to adopt the suggested farm innovation path were identified by farmers, consultants and extensionists and strategies and their implication discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon control involves more than just reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2). Since the industrial revolution, approximately 35% of greenhouse gas (GHG) radiation has been from non-CO 2 emissions. In this study, an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change coefficient method was used to calculate the agricultural non-CO 2 GHG emissions in the farming-pastoral ecotone of Northern China. The study clarified the spatial and temporal evolution of non-CO 2 GHG emissions in crop systems and livestock systems. The results showed that the total agricultural non-CO 2 GHG emissions in the northern farming-pastoral ecotone from 2001 to 2021 were between 211.55× 104 t and 307.02 × 104 t, but the increase in the last decade was lower than that in the previous decade. Livestock and crop systems showed a trend of low emissions in the central region and high emissions in the northeast and southwest. The contribution of methane (CH 4) to agricultural GHG emissions was greater than that of nitrous oxide (N 2 O), and the ratio of non-CO 2 GHGs produced by livestock and crop systems was approximately 3:1. In livestock systems, the highest proportion of CH 4 was produced by intestinal fermentation, accounting for 80%. In crop systems, N 2 O emissions from planting corn and the leaching of fertilizer and nitrogen contributed the most, accounting for 30%, 23% and 24%, respectively. The provinces of Shaanxi and Ningxia urgently need to find the cause of emissions and act to curb their further growth. • Spatiotemporal patterns are examined for crop and livestock non-CO 2 GHG emissions. • The ratio of emissions between livestock and crop systems is 3:1. • 80% of the total emissions in the livestock system come from intestinal fermentation. • Mitigation policies should focus on high emission region and emerging sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European managed grasslands are amongst the most productive in the world. Besides temperature and the amount and timing of precipitation, grass production is also highly controlled by applications of nitrogen fertilizers and land management to sustain a high productivity. Since management characteristics of pastures vary greatly across Europe, land-use intensity and their projections are critical input variables in earth system modeling when examining and predicting the effects of increasingly intensified agricultural and livestock systems on the environment. In this study, we aim to improve the representation of pastures in the dynamic global vegetation model LPJ-GUESS. This is done by incorporating daily carbon allocation for grasses as a foundation to further implement daily land management routines and land-use intensity data into the model to discriminate between intensively and extensively used regions. We further compare our new simulations with leaf area index observations, reported regional grassland productivity, and simulations conducted with the vegetation model ORCHIDEE-GM. Additionally, we analyze the implications of including pasture fertilization and daily management compared to the standard version of LPJ-GUESS. Our results demonstrate that grassland productivity cannot be adequately captured without including land-use intensity data in form of nitrogen applications. Using this type of information improved spatial patterns of grassland productivity significantly compared to standard LPJ-GUESS. In general, simulations for net primary productivity, net ecosystem carbon balance and nitrogen leaching were considerably increased in the extended version. Finally, the adapted version of LPJ-GUESS, driven with projections of climate and land-use intensity, simulated an increase in potential grassland productivity until 2050 for several agro-climatic regions, most notably for the Mediterranean North, the Mediterranean South, the Atlantic Central and the Atlantic South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly, animal welfare (AW) is gaining ground worldwide because of pressure from importing countries, as well as the demand from a more conscious society regarding the living conditions of farm animals. Despite the growing concern about AW, there are few studies of stock person’s welfare and how it might influence AW. The treatment of animals connects to stockpersons’ attitudes and behaviour, which in turn are associated with several human factors such as initial experience in the activity, welfare, quality of working conditions and human-animal relationship. Many authors have investigated this relationship and its association with positive attitudes of stock persons towards animals, which consequently influence AW and productivity. However, currently, there is no highlighted concern about the human issue, as the stock person welfare (SW), believed to be a key aspect of a successful implementation of AW programs. The present work suggests a broader view concerning AW, its relation to SW and the importance of improving both aspects in livestock systems.

The UK is the largest lamb meat producer in Europe. However, the low profitability of sheep farming sector suggests production efficiency could be improved. Although the use of technologies such as Electronic Identification (EID) tools could allow a better use of flock resources, anecdotal evidence suggests they are not widely used. The aim of this study was to assess uptake of EID technology, and explore drivers and barriers of adoption of related tools among English and Welsh farmers. Farm beliefs and management practices associated with adoption of this technology were investigated. A total of 2000 questionnaires were sent, with a response rate of 22%. Among the respondents, 87 had adopted EID tools for recording flock information, 97 intended to adopt it in the future, and 222 neither had adopted it, neither intended to adopt it. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multivariable logistic regression modelling were used to identify farmer beliefs and management practices significantly associated with adoption of EID technology. EFA identified three factors expressing farmer’s beliefs–external pressure and negative feelings, usefulness and practicality. Our results suggest farmer’s beliefs play a significant role in technology uptake. Non-adopters were more likely than adopters to believe that ‘government pressurise farmers to adopt technology’. In contrast, adopters were significantly more likely than non-adopters to see EID as practical and useful (p≤0.05). Farmers with higher information technologies literacy and intending to intensify production in the future were significantly more likely to adopt EID technology (p≤0.05). Importantly, flocks managed with EID tools had significantly lower farmer- reported flock lameness levels (p≤0.05). These findings bring insights on the dynamics of adoption of EID tools. Communicating evidence of the positive effects EID tools on flock performance and strengthening farmer’s capability in use of technology are likely to enhance the uptake of this technology in sheep farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural activities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), southern Brazil, have traditionally been quite intensive and led to decreased overall soil quality, and to depletion of soil organic matter and nutrients. There have been attempts at restoring soil quality by using integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLS). ICLS in association with no-tillage (NT) potentially increase soil organic matter content and nutrient supplies. The aim of this work was to assess the influence of grazing intensity in three different treatments [viz., intensive grazing (IG), moderate grazing (MG) and no grazing (NG)] on the mineralogy of an Oxisol in an integrated soybean–cattle beef production system in southern Brazil by using various types of methods and tests. Mineralogical XRD analyses of the clay fraction (< 2 μm) showed it to consist mainly of kaolinite and 2:1 clay minerals of the hydroxy-interlayered mineral (HIM) type. The reflections for 2:1 clay minerals under the IG treatment were better defined than those for the minerals under NG, which suggests the prevalence of HIMs. The 2:1 clay minerals in the IG group exhibited expandable layers. Splitting the clay fraction into three subfractions according to size (< 0.05 μm, 0.05–0.1 μm and 0.1–2 μm) exposed considerable alterations. Thus, hydroxy-aluminum interlayered vermiculite (HIV-Al) was present irrespective of treatment. Also, the HIV-Al reflection was better defined under IG and MG than under NG, which suggests strong aluminization of 2:1 clay minerals. Chemical analyses revealed a decrease in total organic carbon (TOC) with increasing depth in all treatments. The decrease was especially marked under NG by effect of the absence of animals favoring accumulation of plant shoots. pH water was higher under IG as a result of the removal of aluminum from the soil solution increased aluminization of 2:1 clay minerals. K concentrations in solution were low under IG as a result of the formation of HIMs and/or swelling layers with exchangeable K; by contrast, solution K levels under NG where high owing to the absence of HIMs. The presence of animals, which increases K availability through animal wastes, may have resulted in competition between exchangeable K + and Al 3 + to form HIMs. Without splitting the clay fraction it would have been impossible to confirm the mineralogical alteration in 2:1 phyllosilicates due to the impact of ICLS systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crops and livestock play a synergistic role in global food production and farmer livelihoods. Increasingly, however, crops and livestock are produced in isolation, particularly in farms operating at the commercial scale. It has been suggested that re-integrating crop and livestock systems at the field and farm level could help reduce the pollution associated with modern agricultural production and increase yields. Despite this potential, there has been no systematic review to assess remaining knowledge gaps in both the social and ecological dimensions of integrated crop and livestock systems (ICLS), particularly within commercial agricultural systems. Based on a multi-disciplinary workshop of international experts and additional literature review, we assess the current knowledge and remaining uncertainties about large-scale, commercial ICLS and identify the source of remaining knowledge gaps to establish priorities for future research. We find that much is understood about nutrient flows, soil quality, crop performance, and animal weight gain in commercial ICLS, but there is little knowledge about its spatial extent, animal behavior or welfare in ICLS, or the tradeoffs between biodiversity, pest and disease control, greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, and drought and heat tolerance in ICLS. There is some evidence regarding the economic outcomes in commercial ICLS and supply chain and policy barriers to adoption, but little understanding of broader social outcomes or cultural factors influencing adoption. Many of these knowledge gaps arise from a basic lack of data at both the field and system scales, which undermines both statistical analysis and modeling efforts. Future priorities for the international community of researchers investigating the tradeoffs and scalability of ICLS include: methods standardization to better facilitate international collaborations and comparisons, continued social organization for better data utilization and collaboration, meta-analyses to answer key questions from existing data, the establishment of long term experiments and surveys in key regions, a portal for citizen science, and more engagement with ICLS farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of population growth, urbanization and climate change, agricultural systems around the world face enormous pressure on the use of resources. There is a pressing need for wide-scale innovation leading to development that improves the livelihoods and food security of the world's population while at the same time addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation. A variety of promising climate-smart interventions have been identified. However, what remains is the prioritization of interventions for investment and broad dissemination. The suitability and adoption of interventions depends on a variety of bio-physical and socio-economic factors. Also their impacts, when adopted and out-scaled, are likely to be highly heterogeneous. This heterogeneity expresses itself not only spatially and temporally but also in terms of the stakeholders affected, some might win and some might lose. A mechanism that can facilitate a systematic, holistic assessment of the likely spread and consequential impact of potential interventions is one way of improving the selection and targeting of such options. In this paper we provide climate smart agriculture (CSA) planners and implementers at all levels with a generic framework for evaluating and prioritising potential interventions. This entails an iterative process of mapping out recommendation domains, assessing adoption potential and estimating impacts. Through examples, related to livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa, we demonstrate each of the steps and how they are interlinked. The framework is applicable in many different forms, scales and settings. It has a wide applicability beyond the examples presented and we hope to stimulate readers to integrate the concepts in the planning process for climate-smart agriculture, which invariably involves multi-stakeholder, multi-scale and multi-objective decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the paper is to do a critic study of the use of typology methodologies within pasture-based farming systems (PBFS), especially those situated in less favoured areas, showing in each case the more relevant variables or indicators determining the farming system classification. Another objective is to do an overview of the most used farming system typology methodologies in general. First some considerations about the concept of farming system and approaches to its study have been done. Next, the farming system typology methodologies have been showed in general to different farming systems, but addressed preferably to PBFS. The different tools integrated in these methodologies have been considered: sampling methods, sources of data, variables or indicators obtained from available data and techniques of analysis (statistical or not). Methods for farming system classification have been presented (expert methods, analytical methods or a combination of both types). Among the statistical methods, the multivariate analysis has been overall treated, including the principal component analysis and the cluster analysis. Finally, the use of farming system typology methodologies on different pasture-based farming systems has been presented. The most important aspects considered are following: the main objective of the typology, the main animal species, the employed methods of classification and the main variables involved in this classification.

African mixed crop-livestock systems are vulnerable to climate change and need to adapt in order to improve productivity and sustain people's livelihoods. These smallholder systems are characterized by high greenhouse gas emission rates, but could play a role in their mitigation. Although the impact of climate change is projected to be large, many uncertainties persist, in particular with respect to impacts on livestock and grazing components, whole-farm dynamics and heterogeneous farm populations. We summarize the current understanding on impacts and vulnerability and highlight key knowledge gaps for the separate system components and the mixed farming systems as a whole. Numerous adaptation and mitigation options exist for crop-livestock systems. We provide an overview by distinguishing risk management, diversification and sustainable intensification strategies, and by focusing on the contribution to the three pillars of climate-smart agriculture. Despite the potential solutions, smallholders face major constraints at various scales, including small farm sizes, the lack of response to the proposed measures and the multi-functionality of the livestock herd. Major institutional barriers include poor access to markets and relevant knowledge, land tenure insecurity and the common property status of most grazing resources. These limit the adoption potential and hence the potential impact on resilience and mitigation. In order to effectively inform decision-making, we therefore call for integrated, system-oriented impact assessments and a realistic consideration of the adoption constraints in smallholder systems. Building on agricultural system model development, integrated impact assessments and scenario analyses can inform the co-design and implementation of adaptation and mitigation strategies.F [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greater diversity (i.e., variety, balance and disparity) within agricultural systems is often suggested as a solution to promote redundancy within such systems and therefore increase their adaptive capacity and reduce their vulnerability against climate change and variability. Yet this assumption relies upon the gathering and integration of field- and herd-scale results at the farm scale. We have conducted a farm-scale simulation-based study to evaluate the potential for increasing adaptive capacity and reducing vulnerability of livestock systems to weather variability through increase of their agricultural diversity. We manipulate in the simulation, factors of change in the livestock systems resulting in less diverse and more diverse livestock systems to be simulated. We assume, a priori, that certain combinations of the factored system components bring redundancy in the system and in turn increase its adaptive capacity and reduce its vulnerability against weather variability. Simulated factors of change are: F1: a change in the ratio of the area mechanically harvested (vs. grazed) to the whole farm area; F2: a change in the crops and grassland types grown or in the distribution of the area between crops and/or grassland types; F3: a change in calving periods from one season to another. The simulation plan includes a baseline scenario without changes and scenarios corresponding to all possible combinations of F1–F3. These scenarios are applied to four livestock systems located on a diagonal across France over a succession of four years with varying weather conditions. In these systems, self-sufficiency for forage is jeopardized by unfavorable years, and this may increase animal feeding costs. Thus we consider that adaptive capacity increases and vulnerability decreases as long as self-sufficiency for forage is achieved without increasing animal feeding costs. Results confirm the potential for increasing adaptive capacity and reducing vulnerability of livestock systems to weather variability through increase of their agricultural diversity. For instance, F2 has three main kinds of impacts on self-sufficiency for forage: (i) it yields significant average improvements by 34%, 43%, 36% and 36% across livestock systems for the four successive years, (ii) it buffers year-to-year variations and (iii) the final level of self-sufficiency is higher than the initial one even after two years with unfavorable weather conditions. Moreover, simulated changes do not increase animal feeding costs. Thus our results provide empirical evidence at the farm scale to supplement literature reviews based on field- and herd-scale results. They also confirm that through easily implementable on-farm changes, adaptive capacity can be increased and vulnerability of agricultural systems to weather variability decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The various ways in which livestock production systems can be incorporated into economic, partial-equilibrium, multi-market models are presented, and the challenges outlined. A particular focus and illustrative case is livestock feed. Foremost among the challenges is the reconciliation of scientific understanding of livestock feed requirements and production characteristics with the available national data. Another challenge is in estimating herd structures. An economic, multi-market modeling approach is presented which has been widely used in policy analysis and advocacy, and an account is given of the necessary recent enhancements for addressing livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Integrated crop-livestock systems are effectively implemented in every region of the U.S. [•] New technologies facilitate successful adoption of crop-livestock systems. [•] Adoption of crop-livestock systems in the U.S. occurs primarily among livestock managers. [•] Cash crop managers have few current incentives to incorporate livestock into their crop systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Spatial stratification combined with farming systems analysis better assesses the demand of and potential for dual-purpose maize. [•] There is potential for dual-purpose maize in mixed farming systems in southern Africa in supporting systems intensification and mitigation of dry season feed shortages. [•] Trade-offs in maize residue uses are high where livestock is important and alternative feed limited. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper introduces a generic assessment method called pluri-energy analysis. It aims to assess the types of energy used in agricultural systems and their conversion efficiencies. Four types of energy are considered: fossil energy, gross energy contained in the biomass, energy from human and animal labor and solar energy. The method was applied to compare smallholder low-input dairy-production systems, which are common in developing countries, to the high-input systems encountered in OECD countries. The pluri-energy method is useful for analyzing the functioning of agricultural systems by highlighting their modes of energy management. Since most dairy systems in South Mali (SM) are low-input systems, they are primarily based on solar and labor energy types and do not require substantial fossil-energy inputs to produce milk. Farms in Poitou-Charentes (PC) and Bretagne (BR) show intermediate values of fossil-energy use for milk production, similar to that found in the literature for typical European systems. However, fossil-energy use for milk production is higher on PC than BR farms because of a higher proportion of maize silage in the forage area; grazing pastures are more common on BR farms. Farms on Reunion Island (RI) require a relatively large amount of fossil energy to produce milk, mainly because the island context limits the amount of arable land. Consequently, milk production is based on large imports of concentrated feed with a high fossil-energy cost. The method also enables assessment of fossil-energy-use efficiency in order to increase the performance of biological processes in agricultural systems. Comparing the low-input systems represented by SM to the high-input systems represented by RI, PC and BR, an increase in solar-energy conversion, and thus land productivity, was observed due to intensification via increased fossil-energy use. Conversely, though fossil-energy use at the herd level increased milk productivity, its effect on gross-energy conversion by the herd was less evident. Partitioning the total on-farm gross energy produced among animal co-products (milk, meat and manure) highlights the major functions of SM herds, which are managed to produce organic crop fertilizers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Environmental impact assessment of agriculture has received increased attention over recent decades, leading to development of numerous methods. Among them, three deal with energy use: Energy Analysis (EA), Ecological Footprint (EF) and Emergy synthesis (Em). Based on a review of 197 references applying them to a variety of agricultural systems, this paper evaluates their ability to assess energy use. While EF assesses energy use as land use via a global accounting approach in which energy is only one component of the assessment, EA and Em are energy-focused and appear more appropriate to highlight ways to increase energy-use efficiency. EA presents a clear methodology via fossil energy use and its associated impacts but does not consider all energy sources. With inclusion of natural and renewable resources, Em focuses on other energy resources, such as solar radiation and energy from labour, but does not present impact indicators nor establish a clear link between activities and their environmental impacts. Improvements of the EA and Em methods could increase their ability to perform realistic and unbiased energy analysis or the diversity of livestock systems encountered in the world. First, to consider all energy sources, as Em does, EA could include solar radiation received by farm surfaces and energy expenditure by humans and animals to accomplish farm operations. Second, boundaries of the studied system in EA and Em must include draft animals, humans and communal grazing lands. Third, special attention should be given to update and locally adapt energy coefficients and transformities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the condition of livestock production in Alaska as an integral sector of agriculture in the state. An overview is given on livestock production and agricultural practices in the state and how it differs from other regions in the U.S. The agriculture sector in the state cannot import practices and technology from southern regions due to the increasing cost of fuel and changing climate. Highlights and issues discussed related to livestock and agriculture production during the Sustainable Livestock Production Conference held in Anchorage on October 13 and 14, 2011 are also provided.

Abstract: Agricultural intensification drastically reduces diversity at different scales of livestock farming systems (LFS). This homogenization process leads to environmental degradation and ignores the fact that multiple performance criterions often come in conflict. Taking advantage of diversity at different scales of LFS is a new challenge to improve sustainability. The diversity is considered here on a functional viewpoint, i.e. a variety of functions played by individual production entities involved in overall performance. The objective of this study was to examine how the diversity of individual production entities shapes the relationship between different performance criterions at the upper scale. We used two types of dynamic models representing contrasting LFS: extensive grassland suckling farms and intensive dairy herds. Both models include a certain level of functional diversity with production entities corresponding to different types of management practices (grassland farm model) or different types of females (herd model). With the grassland farm model, we studied how the biodiversity/production relationship was influenced by the functional diversity of management practices. With the herd model, we explored how production/efficiency relationship was influenced by the functional diversity of females. At the farm scale, we showed that interactions between the diverse management practices shaped the relationship between ecological and productive performance from a convex to a concave trade-off. Complementary effects resulting from the diversity of management practices thus improved the trade-off. Trade-off shape also depended on the level of farm intensity and it was less costly for the extensive farms to achieve viable levels of ecological performance. Increasing the complementary effect through increased diversity in management practices is likely to improve the conciliation between productive and ecological performance. At the herd scale, we observed a win–win situation between production and efficiency. However, at the highest levels of production, there was a production/efficiency trade-off; increases in either production or efficiency corresponded to distinct functional groups of females. Managing the functional groups of females with targeted practices is likely to improve the production/efficiency trade-off. We concluded from both case studies that functional diversity plays a key role in the relationship between multiple performance criterions. The next steps on the research agenda include exploring new spatial and temporal scales and accounting for environmental variability. A better understanding of the role of functional diversity can benefit from multi-criterions and multi-scale modelling approaches. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The sustainability of livestock farming systems (LFS) in relation to global concerns about climate change, population dynamics and the quality of the agro-ecosystem services that are provided to society and their trade-offs has become a fundamental issue for public and scientific debate. However, LFS differ widely in terms of the use of resources, degree of intensification, species and orientation of production, local/regional socio-economic and market context, cultural roles, etc. Therefore, we need to disaggregate livestock farming systems when analysing any aspect of sustainability. This paper discusses low-input pasture-based farming systems (meat sheep and beef cattle) located in mountainous and other less favoured areas of the European Mediterranean basin. We first describe their recent evolution in terms of the level of intensification and structural, economic, social and environmental factors at the farm level, paying special attention to critical points of sustainability. Despite the diversity encountered, there are some common factors that threaten their future, such as an excessive dependency on premiums, the lack of generational turnover due to a number of increasingly influential social factors and a continuous process of abandonment of large marginal areas and concentration in more favourable areas. Next, we depict some relevant synergies and trade-offs between a number of factors that we have previously described, taking into account the wider socio-economic environment in which farms operate. Pasture-based LFS can satisfy societal demands (for public goods such as landscape and biodiversity or ethical concerns about food production) and are less vulnerable to market changes. However, they are not paid for the environmental services they deliver, they suffer displacement by other economic activities, and they are very sensitive to climate change scenarios. We also point out a number of options for designing and implementing more sustainable pasture-based LFS under very uncertain circumstances; the concepts of resilience, adaptive capacity and self-sufficiency are discussed within this context. Finally, we summarise some areas for future research: –valuation and integration of positive externalities of pasture-based LFS in an analytical sustainability frameworks and management tools, –assessment of the diversity of systems, the impact they generate and the public goods they deliver, –analysis of complex relationships between intensification of production, dependence on off-farm/on-farm inputs, productivity and working conditions, –consideration of the social factors that determine continuity and working conditions, –and the necessity of performing dynamic studies that allow the understanding and anticipation of change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Projections suggest that annual per capita water availability in the Indo-Ganga Basin (IGB) will reduce to a level typical for water-stressed areas. Producing more crop and livestock products, per unit of agricultural water invested, is advocated as a key strategy for future food production and environmental security in the basin. The objective of this study was to understand the spatio-temporal dynamics of water requirements for livestock feed production, attendant livestock water productivity (LWP) and implications for the future sustainable use of water resources. We focused on three districts in the IGB representing intensive (higher external inputs, e.g. fertilizer, water) and semi-intensive (limited external input) crop-livestock systems. LWP is estimated based on principles of water accounting and is defined as the ratio of livestock beneficial outputs and services to the water depleted and degraded in producing these. In calculating LWP and crop water productivity (CWP), livestock, land use, land productivity and climatic data were required. We used secondary data sources from the study districts, field observations and discussions with key informants to generate those data sets. Our result showed that the volume of water depleted for livestock feed production varied among the study systems and was highly affected by the type of feed and the attendant agronomic factors (e.g. cropping pattern, yield). LWP value was higher for intensive systems and affected by agricultural water partitioning approaches (harvest index, metaolizable energy). LWP tended to decrease between 1992 and 2003. This can be accounted for by the shift to a feeding regime that depletes more water despite its positive impacts on animal productivity. This is a challenging trend with the advent of and advocacy for producing more agricultural products using the same or lower volume of water input and evokes a need for balanced feeding, by considering the nutritive value, costs and water productivity of feed, and better livestock management to improve LWP. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Rice–wheat systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) have long exemplified South Asia’s agricultural transformation through the Green Revolution. The same systems now also typify the post-Green Revolution stagnation and equity challenges, despite receiving considerable attention from the research and development (R&D) community. The apparent homogeneity of vast irrigated plains masks significant diversity in assets, livelihood strategies and livelihood outcomes. The paper analyzes the rural livelihoods and underlying agro-ecological gradients in the IGP drawing on village surveys and secondary data as characterization tools. The contribution of the paper is twofold: (i) new knowledge of the socio-economic circumstances in farming communities across the Indian IGP to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of R&D interventions and particularly poverty alleviation; and (ii) an illustration of a novel approach to operationalize livelihood analysis at the meso-level so as to address spatial scale issues and link micro-level contextual realities across a vast geographical area. The agricultural R&D community needs to incorporate this socio-economic diversity more proactively into its R&D agenda if it is to succeed in sustaining productivity gains, improving rural livelihoods equitably, and securing environmental sustainability in this important eco-region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Smallholder livestock keepers represent almost 20% of the world population and steward most of the agricultural land in the tropics. Observed and expected increases in future demand for livestock products in developing countries provide unique opportunities for improving livelihoods and linked to that, improving stewardship of the environment. This cannot be a passive process and needs to be supported by enabling policies and pro-poor investments in institutional capacities and technologies. Sustaining intensification of smallholder livestock systems must take into account both social and environmental welfare and be targeted to sectors and areas of most probable positive social welfare returns and where natural resource conditions allow for intensification. Smallholders are competitive in ruminant systems, particularly dairy, because of the availability of family labour and the ability of ruminants to exploit lower quality available roughage. Smallholders compete well in local markets which are important in agriculturally-based or transforming developing countries. However, as production and marketing systems evolve, support to smallholders to provide efficient input services, links to output markets and risk mitigation measures will be important if they are to provide higher value products. Innovative public support and links to the private sector will be required for the poor to adapt and benefit as systems evolve. Likewise targeting is critical to choosing which systems with livestock can be intensified. Some intensive river basin systems have little scope for intensification. More extensive rain-fed systems, particularly in Africa, could intensify with enabling policies and appropriate investments. In more fragile environments, de-intensification is required to avoid irreversible damage to ecosystems. Attention to both social and environmental sustainability are critical to understanding trade-offs and incentives and to bridging important gaps in the perspectives on livestock production between rich and poor countries and peoples. Two specific examples in which important elements of sustainable intensification can be illustrated, smallholder dairy systems in East Africa and South Asia and small ruminant meat systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: African smallholder farming systems are complex, dynamic systems with many interacting biophysical subcomponents. In these systems the major inputs and outputs are managed by human agency – the farmers. To analyse potential developmental pathways of smallholder farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), we recognised the need for a tool that can capture the effects and consequences of decision-making on the use of resources. Here we describe and apply such a new modelling tool, developed within the NUANCES framework (Nutrient Use in ANimal and Cropping systems: Efficiencies and Scales), called NUANCES-FARMSIM (FARM SIMulator), an integrated crop – livestock model developed to analyse African smallholder farm systems. NUANCES-FARMSIM was used to analyse a representative case study farm in the highlands of Western Kenya, a site for which each of the components of FARMSIM has been thoroughly tested. We present the results of a sensitivity analysis which showed the model to be sufficiently robust to identify key management options that explain most of the variability in farm productivity, and the long-term consequences of these options for the case study farm. The analyses showed clearly that the most important decisions are those related to the interactions between the different components of the farm and therefore justify the need of integrating crop and livestock components within one modelling tool. The allocation of limited resources across the farm, and the way organic matter is recycled or redistributed within the farm determines the long-term production capacity of the system. The results of the sensitivity analyses further showed that for the case study farm in Western Kenya a strong focus on improving the reliability of the subsystem level or process descriptions will only result in minor improvement in simulating productivity at farm level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Crop-livestock farms are complex systems. The interactions operating in such systems involve decisional, biophysical, structural, and environmental factors. Moreover, as farmers face a large range of management options, tools are needed to support their decision-making to enable them to reach production levels meeting their objectives and compatible with their human and physical resources, while controlling their effects on the environment. Gamede, a whole-dairy-farm model, has been developed to explore this complexity and to represent dynamically the effect of management decisions on biomass and nitrogen flows and on numerous sustainability indicators, such as milk and forage crop productivity, labour requirements, nitrogen balance, and nitrogen efficiency. This article describes the integration of six modules accounting for biophysical processes in a dairy farm (forage production; forage conditioning; herd demography; milk, excreta and animal biomass productions; grazing, quality of fertilisers; and nitrogen gaseous emissions) together with a decision system accounting for the farmer’s strategy and technical operations. Most of the six biophysical modules incorporate mathematical models from the literature, but the decision system stems from our own original work. Six commercial farms with different structures, agro-climatic conditions and management strategies were used for validation. The model can explain the differences found in their sustainability indicators at the year scale. The intra-year variability of the main biomass stocks and flows is also well explained. This quantitative validation was completed by a qualitative validation from researcher, adviser and farmer points of view, including simulations of prospective scenarios. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background and Aims: White clover (Trifolium repens) is an important component of sustainable livestock systems around the world. Its exploitation for agriculture in the northern, marginal areas is, however, currently limited by the lack of cultivars that combine persistence and high production potential. The aims are to investigate whether it is feasible to create breeding material of white clover for these areas by combining winter hardiness of northerly populations with good yielding ability of more southerly cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

1. A large proportion of the world's land surface is extensively managed for livestock production. In areas where livestock systems are becoming more intensive, a major challenge is to predict those plant species likely to decline, persist or increase as a result of agricultural intensification. 2. Most analyses develop inferences for frequent or abundant species, or rely on intensive studies of single species. A promising approach is to identify plant traits related to disturbance to enable inference to be made about changes in plant community composition. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to analyse the response to agricultural intensification of 494 plant species of pastures and woodlands in southern Australia, and to identify how simple species’ traits (life form, growth form and species origin) influence those responses. 3. The probability of occurrence of most species declined along the two intensification gradients, grazing intensity and soil phosphorous concentration, although the occurrence of a greater proportion of species was negatively correlated with soil phosphorous. Responses could be broadly predicted from both plant origin and plant traits, in particular growth form. 4. Native perennial geophytes, ferns and shrubs were most negatively affected by both gradients, while exotic annual grasses and forbs were more tolerant. Along the phosphorous gradient, 24 of the 30 most negatively affected plant species were native geophytes. Mean within-group responses masked considerable within- and between-species variation, particularly for the exotic species group which included species that responded both negatively and positively to intensification. 5. Synthesis and applications. The hierarchical model described here provides a powerful method for estimating individual plant responses and identifying how species’ traits influence those responses. Plant species native to southern Australia are sensitive to grazing and phosphorous apparently due to a shared evolutionary history of low grazing intensity and low phosphorous soils. Invading exotic plants have faced strongly contrasting ecological filters, leading to a greater diversity of responses. Where grazing systems have been most intense, a small suite of exotics dominate. Maintaining native and functional plant diversity will necessitate limits being placed on intensive livestock management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantity and quality of feed resources in relation to the livestock population were assessed in the Bale Highlands of Ethiopia. Crop residues and stubble accounted for 74% of the feed supply. Crude protein (CP) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) were higher (P < 0.001) for feed from natural pasture than for crop residues. Fibre content was higher (P < 0.05) for crop residues and stubble. The feed available per household satisfied the maintenance DM requirement of the livestock. The dominant feed resources throughout the year met 131% of the maintenance metabolizable energy (ME) requirement of the livestock per household. However, CP was deficient even for maintenance, meeting only 87% of the maintenance requirement of the animals and indicating the need for supplementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock production systems in Africa are experiencing rapid changes in structure and function due to increased demands for livestock products from a more prosperous and ever-increasing human population. Some of these changes could lead to increased emissions of greenhouse gases. This paper explores the magnitudes of changes in production systems as a function of increased population densities and climate change. This paper also quantifies the methane emissions from African cattle, goats and sheep from 2000 to 2030. The study integrates methodologies from different disciplines to derive spatially explicit distributions of methane emissions from domestic ruminants and their changes as livestock production systems evolve. A livestock systems classification framework was used to differentiate pastoral and crop–livestock systems using agro-ecological thresholds based on temperature and length of growing period (hyper-arid, arid, humid and temperate regions), the extent of irrigation and human population densities. Livestock numbers (tropical livestock units, TLU) were estimated from FAO data for each country and production system defined. Projections of livestock populations were derived from analysis of demand shifts in livestock products, and livestock systems changes estimated on the basis of potential climate change and population density change to 2030. For the estimation of diets for ruminants, Africa was split into regions (East, West, Southern, Central and North Africa, and The Horn of Africa) and diets for both the rainy and the dry seasons were estimated from literature reviews for each livestock species in each production system in each region. Feed intake, livestock production and the computation of methane emissions were obtained using a previously validated and widely used mechanistic model of digestion and metabolism in ruminants. Results suggest that (1) Africa produced around 7.8 million tonnes of methane/year in 2000. This figure is likely to increase to 11.1 million tonnes/year by 2030. (2) Methane emissions per tropical livestock unit (TLU, 250kg bodyweight) can vary from 21 to 40kg/(TLUyear), depending on the production system and the region. (3) The highest emissions per animal come, and will continue to come, from ruminants in mixed crop–livestock systems. (4) The regions producing the highest concentrations of methane, now and in the future, are in general terms, The Horn of Africa, West and East Africa. (5) The average emission factors obtained in this study (31.1kg/(methane(TLUyear))) are in close agreement with the emission factors used by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for African ruminants (32kg methane per animal per year). (6) The methodology employed in this study permits the disaggregation of methane emissions by country and production system, thus allows us to quantify changes in emissions as climate changes and production systems evolve. The results of the study are compared with those obtained in other studies around the world and its implications are discussed in relation to how systems are likely to evolve in Africa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many organizations in Ethiopia have for many years promoted exotic multipurpose fodder trees (EMPFT) for livestock feed and soil improvement. Despite the apparent benefits, the number of farmers planting these trees was low. The objectives were to elucidate farmers' perceptions about their use value, management practices and constraints to adoption in three districts representing annual (one wheat-based and one teff-based) and perennial (coffee- based) crop-livestock systems in the Ethiopian highlands. Data were collected from 235 farm households. Most farmers (95.3%) had awareness of EMPFTs and the principal information sources were development agents (75.3%). Over half of the farmers were motivated to plant EMPFTs for feed value. Motivation for other purposes depended on cropping system, vegetation cover and availability of alternative local fodder trees in the area. Farmers had positive perceptions about EMPFTs for their feed value and contribution to soil conservation. Current adopters had a mean number of 587 (SE ± 84) EMPFTs per farm. Major constraints to adoption of EMPFTs were agronomic problems, low multipurpose value, and land shortage. Majority of farmers (89.8%) were interested to either continue or begin fodder tree development. Of the interested respondents, 44.5% preferred local fodder trees whereas 55.5% preferred EMPFTs. We conclude that farmers are aware of use values of EMPFTs while perceived constraints suggest that introduction of EMPFTs need consideration of farmers multiple criteria, but also awareness of feeding fodder trees and resource availability. Moreover, current development approaches have to recognize the importance of involving the end-users at all stages through participatory approaches to enhance adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated crop-livestock systems directly link crop and livestock production together to generate positive economic and environmental outcomes. Some methods used in integrated systems, like winter grazing on cropland, could negatively affect soil properties and crop productivity. We compared soil compaction, corn (Zea mays L.) yield, and soil nutrient pools between an integrated crop-livestock system and continuous corn system to address this issue. The study was conducted near Pana, IL, between 2002 and 2006. Soil compaction was evaluated indirectly by measuring soil penetration resistance (PR) and surface CO2 effluxes. Total soil C, N, and microbial bio- mass C, were measured from 2002 to 2005. Soil PR and CO2 effluxes showed inconsistent trends related to soil compaction and cattle presence. Corn yield from 2004 to 2006 was higher (P = 0.01) in the integrated system (11.6 Mg ha-1) compared with continuous corn (10.6 Mg ha-1). Total soil C concentration increased significantly from 2002 to 2005 within components of the integrated system but remained unchanged in continuous corn. Microbial biomass C was also higher in the integrated system but only in 2005. The study determined that integration of crops with livestock had generally positive effects on crop yield and soil organic matter despite the potential for livestock to compact soil during winter grazing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of breeding for increased production and the intensification of housing conditions have resulted in increased occurrence of behavioral, physiological, and immunological disorders. These disorders affect health and welfare of production animals negatively. For future livestock systems, it is important to consider how to manage and breed production animals. In this paper, we will focus on selective breeding of laying hens. Selective breeding should not only be defined in terms of production, but should also include traits related to animal health and welfare. For this we like to introduce the concept of robustness. The concept of robustness includes individual traits of an animal that are relevant for health and welfare. Improving robustness by selective breeding will increase (or restore) the ability of animals to interact successfully with the environment and thereby to make them more able to adapt to an appropriate husbandry system. Application of robustness into a breeding goal will result in animals with improved health and welfare without affecting their integrity. Therefore, in order to be ethically acceptable, selective breeding in animal production should accept robustness as a breeding goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal, Scope and Background. Calculating LCA outcomes implies the use of parameters, models, choices and scenarios which introduce uncertainty, as they imperfectly account for the variability of both human and environmental systems. The analysis of the uncertainty of LCA results, and its reduction by an improved estimation of key parameters and through the improvement of the models used to convert emissions into regional impacts, such as eutrophication, are major issues for LCA. Methods. In a case study of pig production systems, we propose a simple quantification of the uncertainty of LCA results (intra-system variability) and we explore the inter-system variability to produce more robust LCA outcomes. The quantification of the intra-system uncertainty takes into account the variability of the technical performance (crop yield, feed efficiency) and of emission factors (for NH3, N20 and NO3) and the influence of the functional unit (FU) (kg of pig versus hectare used). For farming systems, the inter-system variability is investigated through differentiating the production mode (conventional, quality label, organic (OA)), and the farmer practices (Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) versus Over Fertilised (OF)), while for natural systems, variability due to physical and climatic characteristics of catchments expected to modify nitrate fate is explored. Results and Conclusion. For the eutrophication and climate change impact categories, the uncertainty associated with field emissions contributes more to the overall uncertainty than the uncertainty associated with emissions from livestock buildings, with crop yield and with feed efficiency. For acidification, the uncertainty of emissions from livestock buildings is the single most important contributor to the overall uncertainty. The influence of the FU on eutrophication results is very important when comparing systems with different degrees of intensification such as GAP and OA. Concerning the inter-system variability, differences in farmer practices have a larger effect on eutrophication than differences between production modes. Finally, the physical characteristics of the catchment and the climate strongly affect the results for eutrophication. In conclusion, in this case study, the main sources of uncertainty are in the estimation of emission factors, due both to the variability of environmental conditions and to lack of knowledge (emissions of N2O at the field level), but also in the model used for assessing regional impacts such as eutrophication. Recommendation and Perspective. Suitable deterministic simulation models integrating the main controlling variables (environmental conditions, farmer practices, technology used) should be used to predict the emissions of a given system as well as their probabilistic distribution allowing the use of stochastic modelling. Finally, our simulations on eutrophication illustrate the necessity of integrating the fate of pollutants in models of impact assessment and highlight the important margin of improvement existing for the eutrophication impact assessment model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the mountain areas of Northern Vietnam, the past decade was marked by rapid changes in agricultural production systems. Under the new land policies, some farmers had no other choice than to return to the traditional slash and burn cropping systems. Now, however, land allocation to individuals prevents farmers from shifting cultivation to newly cleared land, which is necessary to regenerate soil fertility, and thus for slash and burn practices to remain sustainable. As a consequence, in some villages there is an increasing risk of land degradation. As livestock feeding relies mainly on natural resources, land degradation results in chronic shortages of forage and more generally to a crisis in traditional production systems. To tackle these issues, the Mountain Agrarian Systems Program has designed alternative cropping systems based on direct seeding under a cover crop. Beside their widely recognized role in the conservation of soil and natural resources, these innovative techniques also provide good forage for the farm animals. However, their diffusion implies a profound reorganization of the crop-livestock systems at complementary scales from field, farm, and up to the village community. Accompanying such changes requires that all partners jointly develop communication procedures based on a common knowledge base. In this paper we discuss the spatial compartment model, a graphic discussion and simulation tool used to represent a village in a way that allows both researchers and local stakeholders to understand and visualize their individual and collective situations. We used the model to test a set of cropping innovations through a participatory simulation with local farmers. The farmers were very interested in the new techniques, and some began to test them on their own land. The spatial compartment model proved to be an effective communication tool between scientists and local stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at informing briefly about the work of the Cuban Journal of Agricultural Science during four decades as part of the active life of the Institute of Animal Science. It talks about the origin of the journal and its evolution in time, its impact, visibility and the elements identifying it as a main stream journal, of impact and classified as Certified Journal by the Cuban Academy of Sciences. The editorial system is described, as well as blind review process by triplicate, the technical and the style review, the translation and the edition. Comments are made on the aspects of each section, devoted to the improvement of animal production and the increase of availability of feed of animal origin for the growing world's population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The potential environmental effects of livestock farming are mainly associated with intensification of poultry, pig and dairy cow production systems. The major impacts are mainly caused by housing of livestock, which can lead to air and water pollution associated with nitrogen and phosphorus emissions and losses from manure. European countries regulate the potential for these types of pollution through a number of mechanisms, which have received wide public acceptance. In grazing systems, nitrogen pollution, associated with the use of nitrogen fertilizer, is also the subject of legislation. Perhaps because of this regulatory approach, surveys of the public have found that human food quality and animal welfare are more important issues than effects on air and water quality when considering livestock systems. Variation in stocking rates of grazing ruminants can change the structure and composition of pastures with potential impacts on biodiversity and the production of methane, a greenhouse gas. In European countries, maximum stocking rates have been set to reduce these impacts. Surveys of the European public have suggested that they are willing to pay for the mitigation of these environmental effects but that they also value strongly the cultural component of grazed livestock systems. There are few underlying concepts about how society views the environmental impacts of livestock systems. These are used to conclude that current attitudes are likely to prevail in the next decade. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The spatial and temporal changes of land use, cropping patterns and cattle keeping were assessed for the period 1961–1999 in Kyamtwara division, Bukoba district, Tanzania. The assessment was based on interpreting aerial photographs, surveys and a review of historical statistical data. The area of grassland declined by 40% with a concomitant increase in annual crop fields and forest of 225 and 36%, respectively. The cropping pattern changed from a predominance of banana/coffee/beans to a complex mixed cropping of banana/coffee/beans/maize and root crops in the homegarden, and increased cultivation of maize and root crops in pure stands. Farmers stopped cultivating sorghum and finger millet. The population of indigenous cattle decreased by 50% and an equal percentage of dairy cattle was introduced, but cattle-owning households decreased by 85%. Nutrient balances of homegardens ranged between -27 and 17kgNha-1yr-1, -1 and 7kgPha-1yr-1 and -5 and 12kgKha-1yr-1, with the positive balances achieved by resource-rich households. Nutrient balances of crops in pure stand ranged between -15 and -2kgNha-1yr-1, -2 and -1kgPha-1yr-1 and -14 and -1kgKha-1yr-1, with more negative balances observed with maize, implying that soil nutrient stocks are decreasing. Increasing population density, coupled with an unequal distribution of resources among households, land tenure, economic policies and poor crop markets were identified as major causal factors of the above changes. Reversing soil fertility decline requires external inputs of nutrients. Within the current poor economic situation of the farming community, different potential soil fertility improvement strategies, including exploitation of N2-fixing legumes are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Water quality indicators of two agriculturally impacted karst areas in southeastern West Virginia were studied to determine the water quality effects of grazing agriculture and water quality trends following initiation of water quality improvement programs. Both areas are tributaries of the Greenbrier River and received funding for best management practices under the President's Initiative for Water Quality and then under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). After 11 years of study there was little evidence to suggest that water quality improved in one area. Three and a half years of study in the other area showed little evidence of consistent water quality improvement under EQIP. Lack of consistent water quality improvement at the catchment scale does not imply that the voluntary programs were failures. Increased livestock numbers as a result of successful changes in forage management practices may have overridden water quality improvements achieved through best management practices. Practices that target well defined contributing areas significantly impacting aquifer water quality might be one way to improve water quality at catchment scales in karst basins. For example, a significant decrease in fecal coliform concentrations was observed in subterranean drainage from one targeted sinkhole after dairy cattle were permanently excluded from the sinkhole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the mountain areas of northern Vietnam, extensive husbandry of large-ruminants is limited by the lack of natural forage. Since 2000, the Mountain Agrarian System Program has been concerned with this issue and has evaluated technical alternatives aimed at sustainable integration of crop-livestock systems. One alternative consists of feeding systems for large-ruminants based on cropping systems with plant cover. Diffusion of information about the new system is supported by a set of interactive communication tools for use between farmers and researchers. A participatory simulation method was developed that combines a compartmental model of the village territory with five technical innovations. Farmers simulate the adoption of the innovations they choose among food-forage cropping systems in rotation or in association, and urea-treated straw. They evaluate the quantity of forage that can be grown for their herd using the chosen set of techniques. Simulations revealed farmers' constraints and objectives in adopting sustainable cropping systems on the hillsides while maintaining a small animal husbandry system. The results obtained by each farmer provide a useful basis for discussion about the implementation of innovation. This participatory simulation method could be more widely used to facilitate the diffusion of innovations such as integrating livestock feeding systems with conservation cropping practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]