{"id":24440,"date":"2025-02-06T12:11:33","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T10:11:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carnisostenibili.it\/?p=24440"},"modified":"2025-02-06T12:11:33","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T10:11:33","slug":"the-role-of-livestock-in-our-ecosytem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carnisostenibili.it\/en\/the-role-of-livestock-in-our-ecosytem\/","title":{"rendered":"The role of livestock in our ecosytem"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ecosystem management using livestock: embracing diversity and respecting ecological principles.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span><\/span>animal production sector<\/b><\/span><\/span> faces <\/span><\/span>significant challenges<\/b><\/span><\/span> in increasing animal-sourced foods to meet the <\/span><\/span>growing population’s nutritional needs<\/b><\/span><\/span> while addressing <\/span><\/span>climate change<\/b><\/span><\/span> and <\/span><\/span>biodiversity protection<\/b><\/span><\/span>, particularly by operating within an agroecological framework. <\/span><\/span>Livestock<\/b><\/span><\/span> provide nearly <\/span><\/span><\/span>half<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> the global protein requirements<\/b><\/span><\/span> and are a rich and valuable source of various <\/span><\/span>bioavailable micronutrients<\/b><\/span><\/span> that are difficult to obtain from plants. Moreover, <\/span><\/span>herbivores are essential to grassland ecosystems<\/b><\/span><\/span>, and their natural role can be maintained through <\/span><\/span>proper livestock management<\/b><\/span><\/span>, contributing to sustainable livestock practices.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Historically, <\/span><\/span>livestock<\/b><\/span><\/span> has been used successfully to <\/span><\/span>convert low-cost, inedible feed materials into nutrient-rich food for humans while recycling plant nutrients<\/b><\/span><\/span> through manure, <\/span><\/span>improving soil health and fertility<\/b><\/span><\/span>, and <\/span><\/span>sequestering carbon<\/b><\/span><\/span>. Only a portion of plant biomass is suitable for human consumption, making animals vital for <\/span><\/span>converting non-edible biomass<\/b><\/span><\/span>, especially from <\/span><\/span>grasslands<\/b><\/span><\/span>, which cover over <\/span><\/span>two-thirds of agricultural areas<\/b><\/span><\/span>, and from <\/span><\/span>by-products<\/b><\/span><\/span> from the agri-food industry into consumable protein. Globally, <\/span><\/span>86% of livestock feed <\/b><\/span><\/span>does not compete<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> with human food<\/b><\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If done adequately, <\/span><\/span>incorporating livestock into agricultural systems is crucial to maintain the circular flow of materials in soil, water, and the atmosphere<\/b><\/span><\/span> while at the same time preventing the loss of potential human food from non-edible biomass. <\/span><\/span>Soil carbon sequestration <\/b><\/span><\/span>through well-managed livestock <\/span><\/span>can reduce<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> beef emissions <\/span><\/span>and restore<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> degraded landscapes. <\/span><\/span>Livestock management and environmental protection are interdependent <\/b><\/span><\/span>and should be, as livestock help sustain ecological resources while benefiting from their sustainable provision.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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See the full Paper by Logan Thompson, Jason Rowntree, Wilhelm Windisch, Sin\u00e9ad M Waters, Laurence Shalloo, Pablo Manzano,\u00a0“<\/i><\/span><\/span>Ecosystem management using livestock: embracing diversity and respecting ecological principles | Animal Frontiers | Oxford Academic (oup.com)<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>“<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ecosystem management using livestock: embracing diversity and respecting ecological principles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25151,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[677],"tags":[4927,6457,6459,6327,6328,6329,6456,5682,6458,6460],"class_list":["post-24440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment-sustainability-en","tag-dublin-declaration","tag-jason-rowntree","tag-laurence-shalloo","tag-livestock-and-landscape","tag-livestock-in-farming-systems","tag-livestock-management","tag-logan-thompson","tag-pablo-manzano-en","tag-sinead-m-waters","tag-wilhelm-windisch-en"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t