Livestock systems: Difference between revisions

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|InputVar=Production characteristics livestock; Production system mix; Feed conversion; Livestock ration; Livestock production; Management intensity livestock; Regrowth forest; Animal productivity;
|InputVar=Production characteristics livestock; Production system mix; Feed conversion; Livestock ration; Livestock production; Management intensity livestock; Regrowth forest; Animal productivity;
|OutputVar=Animal stock; Feed crop requirement; Grass requirement;
|OutputVar=Animal stock; Feed crop requirement; Grass requirement;
|Description=Food production will have to be increased, in order to meet the increasing demand associated with adequately feeding a growing population, while the increasing prosperity and falling production costs may see a continued shifting of dietary patterns towards a larger share of meat and milk. Over the past decades, traditional, mixed farming systems have been unable to increase their production levels sufficiently to keep up with increasing demand. As a consequence, production is expanding rapidly in modern livestock production systems with larger shares of poultry and pork, creating growing demands for food crops. This trend started in high-income countries and now can be observed particularly in emerging and developing countries ([[Bruinsma, 2003]]). IMAGE describes the interactions between crop and livestock production and the consequences of changing production practices in livestock farming for food crops and grass, and the associated grassland and arable land use. For this purpose, IMAGE includes a model for pastoral livestock systems, and mixed and landless (industrial) production systems. Pastoral systems rely on grazing by ruminants, whereas mixed and landless systems have integrated crop and livestock production in which the animal rations consist of a mix of several feedstuffs, including food crops, crop by-products, grass, fodder and crop residues. The model is described in detail in [[Bouwman et al., 2005]] and [[Bouwman et al., 2006]].
|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]]).  
The livestock modelling lends itself to assess the environmental consequences associated with expansion in global livestock production. These consequences include the following issues:
 
# expansion of grazing land and particularly arable land for feed crop production, sometimes at the expense of natural vegetation. Most current arable land expansion is used to increase feed production ([[Bouwman et al., 2005]]);  
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]]).
# ruminants emit large amounts of methane (CH4), the second most important greenhouse gas, formed during enteric fermentation;  
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 
#excreta from the animals in all livestock categories are sources of ammonia, methane, nitrous oxide and nitric oxide;  
# 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;  
#on a more local scale, odour nuisance and leaching of nitrate to groundwater are major problems;  
# Large amounts of methane (CH4) emitted by ruminants during enteric fermentation are the second major source of greenhouse gas emissions after CO2;
#a significant amount of land that is used for grazing ruminants may consist of marginal unproductive grassland with a low carrying capacity and high risk of land degradation due to overgrazing, especially in the arid and semi-arid tropics and subtropics ([[Seré and Steinfeld, 1996]] [[Delgado et al., 1999]]). To compensate for productivity losses in such areas, forests may be cleared to expand agricultural land areas.
# Excreta from all livestock categories is a source of ammonia, methane, nitrous oxide and nitric oxide;  
# 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.
 
|ComponentCode=LS
|ComponentCode=LS
|AggregatedComponent=Agriculture and land use
|AggregatedComponent=Agriculture and land use

Revision as of 13:53, 10 February 2014

link to framework components overview

Parts of Livestock systems

  1. Introduction page
  2. Model description
  3. Policy issues
  4. Data, uncertainty and limitations
  5. Overview of references
Component is implemented in:
Components:
Related IMAGE components
Projects/Applications
Models/Databases
Key publications
References
Livestock systems module in IMAGE 3.0
Flowchart Livestock systems. See also the Input/Output Table on the introduction page.

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?

Introduction

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