Integrating crops and livestock optimises natural resources and makes food production more efficient. Let’s take a look at how this works.

Integrated crop and livestock systems (ICLS) are a sustainable approach to enhancing agricultural productivity and mitigating the effects of climate change. A recent review emphasises the vital role these systems play in ensuring the sustainability of agriculture and food security, demonstrating how combining crops and livestock optimises the use of natural resources and improves the efficiency of food production. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of these systems and their potential to shape the future of agriculture.

Integrated systems: an ancient practice, for the future

ICLS is an ancient agricultural practice that originated 8,000–10,000 years ago. It involves combining crops and livestock on the same farm to improve efficiency and sustainability. However, with the advancement of technology and increasing agricultural specialisation, their use has progressively declined, particularly in more developed countries.

However, ICLS are currently experiencing a revival in popularity thanks to growing interest in their positive impact on food security and the environment. They are proving to be an effective long-term solution to the challenges of climate change, as well as a means to ensure more sustainable agriculture. This new review analyses their social and economic benefits in detail and proposes strategies for their adoption in low-, middle- and high-income countries. The world’s population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 and 10.9 billion by 2100, with rising global demand for food putting severe pressure on natural resources and exacerbating the issue of malnutrition, which currently affects one in nine people due to inadequate dietary protein intake.

A sustainable agricultural solution

In this context, ICLS represents a sustainable agricultural solution. Combining plant and animal production on the same farm creates a synergistic system: crop residues, such as straw, corn mash, and vegetable waste, are reused as animal feed, while livestock manure is used as a natural fertiliser for crops, reducing the need for chemicals.

This approach promotes the recycling of nutrients in the soil through crop rotation and alternating pastures and crops, preserving soil fertility and preventing depletion. It also optimises the use of land and water. Every resource is reused within the system, reducing waste and cutting costs while minimising environmental impact. ICLS also promote the accumulation of organic carbon in the soil, thereby limiting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing biodiversity.

Why should livestock farming be reintroduced to farms?

The study’s findings emphasise the importance of integrating livestock farming with crop production to create a system that enhances both crop and livestock yields, particularly in challenging regions. In marginal areas, integrating crops and livestock enhances the production of both plant-based food and animal products, thereby contributing to poverty reduction. Another key benefit of ICLS is the efficient use of crop residues as a primary source of livestock feed, thus avoiding potential competition with human food resources.

For many poor rural families, livestock is a vital resource that can ensure a more stable future. Owning more animals enables them to invest in small-scale economic activities, diversify their income sources, and improve their financial and health conditions. In ICLS, livestock plays a crucial role in providing food such as meat, milk and eggs, which are essential for an adequate diet. Ultimately, this is also why integrating livestock and crop production in ICLS improves the quality of life in rural communities.

ICLS is emerging as an effective solution to global agricultural challenges, enabling the sustainable intensification of both crop and livestock production. By making more efficient use of natural resources, these systems can prevent biodiversity loss, reduce soil erosion and enhance crop and livestock productivity, even in adverse climatic conditions.

ICLS can also be optimised further with new technologies, and knowledge sharing among farmers is key to strengthening the adaptability of agriculture globally. Those who dream of a world without livestock must face reality: only by integrating agriculture and livestock on a large scale can we ensure food and nutritional security without compromising environmental sustainability, both now and in the future.