Livestock systems: Difference between revisions
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|Description=Food production will have to increase in order to feed the world’s growing population. However, with increasing prosperity and falling production costs, dietary patterns are shifting to include a higher proportion of meat and milk. In the last few decades, traditional mixed farming systems have not been unable to raise production levels sufficiently to meet increasing demand. Consequently, modern livestock production systems are expanding rapidly particularly for poultry and pork, creating growing demand for crops. This trend started in high-income countries and is now observed in emerging and developing countries ([[Bruinsma, 2003]]). | |Description=Food production will have to increase in order to feed the world’s growing population. However, with increasing prosperity and falling production costs, dietary patterns are shifting to include a higher proportion of meat and milk. In the last few decades, traditional mixed farming systems have not been unable to raise production levels sufficiently to meet increasing demand. Consequently, modern livestock production systems are expanding rapidly particularly for poultry and pork, creating growing demand for crops. This trend started in high-income countries and is now observed in emerging and developing countries ([[Bruinsma, 2003]]). | ||
Interactions between crop and livestock production are described in IMAGE and also the consequences of changing practices in livestock farming for production of food crops and grass, and associated grassland and arable land use. For this purpose, IMAGE includes a model on pastoral livestock systems, and mixed and landless (industrial) production systems. Pastoral systems are based on grazing ruminants, while mixed and landless systems integrate crop and livestock production in which livestock are fed a mix of crops, crop by-products, grass, fodder and crop residues. The model is described in detail by Bouwman et al. ([[Bouwman 2005]]; [[Bouwman et al., 2006]]). | Interactions between crop and livestock production are described in IMAGE and also the consequences of changing practices in livestock farming for production of food crops and grass, and associated grassland and arable land use. For this purpose, IMAGE includes a model on pastoral livestock systems, and mixed and landless (industrial) production systems. Pastoral systems are based on grazing ruminants, while mixed and landless systems integrate crop and livestock production in which livestock are fed a mix of crops, crop by-products, grass, fodder and crop residues. The model is described in detail by Bouwman et al. ([[Bouwman et al., 2005]]; [[Bouwman et al., 2006]]). | ||
Livestock is related to a wide range of the environmental issues, and the consequences of changes in the livestock system can be studied in the integrated assessment model IMAGE | Livestock is related to a wide range of the environmental issues, and the consequences of changes in the livestock system can be studied in the integrated assessment model IMAGE | ||
# Expansion of grazing land and particularly arable land for feed crop production, is required to support increasing livestock numbers. According to [[Bouwman et al., 2005]] most arable land expansion is to increase feed production; | # Expansion of grazing land and particularly arable land for feed crop production, is required to support increasing livestock numbers. According to [[Bouwman et al., 2005]] most arable land expansion is to increase feed production; | ||
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# Odour nuisance and nitrate leaching to groundwater are major local-scale problems; | # Odour nuisance and nitrate leaching to groundwater are major local-scale problems; | ||
# A significant amount of land used for ruminants grazing is marginal unproductive grassland with low carrying capacity and high risk of degradation due to overgrazing, especially in arid and semi-arid tropics and subtropics ([[Seré and Steinfeld, 1996]]; [[Delgado et al., 1999]]). To compensate for productivity losses in these areas, forests may be cleared to expand agricultural land areas. | # A significant amount of land used for ruminants grazing is marginal unproductive grassland with low carrying capacity and high risk of degradation due to overgrazing, especially in arid and semi-arid tropics and subtropics ([[Seré and Steinfeld, 1996]]; [[Delgado et al., 1999]]). To compensate for productivity losses in these areas, forests may be cleared to expand agricultural land areas. | ||
|ComponentCode=LS | |ComponentCode=LS | ||
|AggregatedComponent=Agriculture and land use | |AggregatedComponent=Agriculture and land use | ||
Revision as of 13:54, 10 February 2014
Parts of Livestock systems
| Component is implemented in: |
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| Models/Databases |
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Key policy issues
- What are the impacts of increasing livestock production on land use, greenhouse gases and other emissions to air and surface water?
- How does the use of marginal lands for grazing increase the risk of degradation and loss of productivity, inducing more forest clearing?