Sustainable livestock
production is possible
Professor Donald Broom
“New research advocates use of pastures with shrubs and trees as it is more sustain-
able, improving animal welfare and increasing biodiversity.”
C
onsumers are increasingly demanding
higher standards for how their meat is
sourced, with animal welfare and the
impact on the environment factoring
in many purchases. Unfortunately, many
widely-used livestock production methods
are currently unsustainable. However, new
research out today from the University of
Cambridge has identified what may be the
future of sustainable livestock production:
silvopastoral systems which include shrubs
and trees with edible leaves or fruits as well as
herbage.
Professor Donald Broom, from the University
of Cambridge, who led the research said:
“Consumers are now demanding more
sustainable and ethically sourced food,
including production without negative impacts
on animal welfare, the environment and the
livelihood of poor producers. Silvopastoral
systems address all of these concerns with the
added benefit of increased production in the
long term.”
Current cattle production mostly occurs on
cleared pastures with only herbaceous plants,
such as grasses, grown as food for the cows.
The effects on the local environment include
the removal of trees and shrubs as well as
the increased use of herbicides, all of which
result in a dramatic decrease in biodiversity.
Additionally, there is also contamination of soil
and waterways by agricultural chemicals as
well as carbon costs because of vehicles and
artificial fertiliser necessary to maintain the
pasture.
AgriKultuur |AgriCulture
The researchers advocate that using a diverse
group of edible plants such as that in a
silvopastoral landscape promotes healthy
soil with better water retention (and less
runoff), encourages predators of harmful
animals, minimizes greenhouse gas emissions,
improves job satisfaction for farm workers,
reduces injury and stress in animals, improves
welfare and encourages biodiversity using
native shrubs and trees.
Additionally, shrubs and trees with edible
leaves and shoots, along with pasture plants,
produce more food for animals per unit area
of land than pasture plants alone. Trees and
shrubs have the added benefit of providing
shade from hot sun and shelter from rain. It
also reduces stress by enabling the animals to
hide from perceived danger.
“The planting as forage plants of both shrubs
and trees whose leaves and small branches
can be consumed by farmed animals can
transform the prospects of obtaining
sustainable animal production,” said Professor
Broom. “Such planting of ‘fodder trees’ has
already been successful in several countries,
including the plant Chamaecytisus palmensis
which is now widely used for cattle feed in
Australia.”
Another success has been in Colombia where
a mixed planting of the shrub Leucaena with
a common pasture grass resulted in a 27%
increase in dry matter for food and 64%
increase of protein production.
When ruminants, such as cows, goats and
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