Current status of livestock production in the Nordic countries and future challenges with a changing climate and human population growth

Åby, Bente Aspeholen; Kantanen, Juha; Aass, L.; Meuwissen, Theo H. E.

doi:10.1080/09064702.2014.950321

Cited by 15 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 22 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…To calculate the effect of varying grass silage quality on total GHG emissions from the cattle population (dairy and suckler), the current Norwegian production levels of 1,500 million litres of milk and 80,000 tons of beef (Åby et al, ) and the emissions intensities from HolosNor was used. In order to limit the number of combinations of various grass silage qualities and concentrate levels for milk and beef, two contrasting ones were chosen: H1C8 (highest yield) versus H3C4 (low yield constrained by high dietary fibre concentration), combined with the two levels of concentrate use in beef production.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Meadows and pastures covers 48% of the agricultural area, ranging from 30% in Finland to 98% in Iceland. Even so, the use of these grass resources has decreased during the last decades, and the use of concentrates for ruminants is substantial and increasing (Åby, Kantanen, Aass, & Meuwissen, ). However, expected human population growth, climate change that may lead to more challenging production conditions resulting in reduced yields for important food and feed crops in tropical and temperate regions, and increased competition with other land use, such as biofuels and urban expansion, may pose risks to global food security and limit the availability of grains for animal feeds (FAO, ; IPCC, ; Nordic Statistics, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Impact of grass silage quality on greenhouse gas emissions from dairy and beef production

Åby

Randby

Bonesmo

et al. 2019

Grass and Forage Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

High‐quality grass silages may represent a mitigation option by reducing enteric methane production and by increasing productivity, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions per kg of product (emission intensity). Two previous studies found considerable effects of three different silage qualities cut at different maturity stages (very early [H1], early [H2] and normal [H3]) offered ad libitum with various levels of concentrate supplementation, on animal performances of growing/finishing bulls and dairy cows in early lactation, indicating that emission intensities may also vary. Based on results from these previous studies, the aim of this study was to estimate emission intensities for milk and beef carcasses for the included combinations of silage qualities and concentrate levels, by using the farm‐scale model HolosNor. The emissions intensities were lowest for the H1 silage, and highest for the H3 silage, independent of concentrate levels for both milk and beef. Thus, increasing concentrate levels did not compensate for lower grass silage quality. Improvements in silage quality from H3 silage to H2 is realistic and has the potential to reduce emission intensities with approximately 10% while keeping the milk yield per cow constant and reducing the use of concentrates considerably. For beef production, the potential is even larger, with a reduction in emission intensity of approximately 17%. We conclude that improving grass silage quality may be a mitigation option that will also reduce the dependence on concentrates.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of grass silage quality on greenhouse gas emissions from dairy and beef production

Åby

Randby

Bonesmo

et al. 2019

Grass and Forage Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Of the Nordic countries, Norway has the largest sheep industry in terms of animal population and meat production ( Table 1). Norwegian consumption of sheep meat per capita is the second highest of the Nordic countries, surpassed only by Iceland where the small human population and limited availability of grazing areas restrict production [1]. There are two main Norwegian sheep breeds-the Norwegian White Sheep (NWS), a crossbred combined meat-wool type, and the short-tailed, double-fleeced Spel sheep (Spel).…”

Section: Sheep Farming In Norwaymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While sheep farming is a part-time endeavour for most of the 14,000 Norwegian sheep flock owners, the industry is still vital for rural employment in Norway [1]. Over the past decade, sheep farming and sheep meat production have increased substantially.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent figures from Statistics Norway [2] have shown that meat production has risen by 8.4% since 2012, while consumption increased by only 0.5% in the same period [3]. Norwegians consume a yearly average of 77.8 kg of meat per person of which 7% is from sheep [1]. The slaughtering of lambs and sheep is seasonal and so any meat in excess of demand for fresh consumption is frozen and stored for later use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Adapting Seasonal Sheep Production to Year-Round Fresh Meat and Halal Market in Norway

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Norway is the largest sheep meat producer among Nordic countries with more than 1.3 million lambs and sheep slaughtered in 2017. The sheep industry is limited by the need for in-house feeding during the winter months. In summer, Norwegian sheep are mainly kept on rangeland pastures, with sufficient feed for almost double the current sheep population. Lambs are slaughtered over a three-to four-month period from September to December with a peak in September-October, providing a surplus of lamb, much of which is subsequently frozen, followed by eight months during which fresh produce is in limited supply. Norwegian consumers eat an average of 5.4 kg of sheep meat per person per year, much of which is purchased as a frozen product. The Muslim (4.2% of the population) preference for year-round halal meat, with an increased demand on the eve of the Muslim meat festival (Eid al-Adha), has the potential to boost demand, particularly in Oslo. This paper provides an overview of the Norwegian sheep farming system, the current market value chains, and the potential to meet the demand for halal meat in Norway (specifically during the Muslim meat festival-Eid al-Adha) to the advantage of both consumers and sheep farmers.

show abstract

A review on the potentials of using feeds rich in water‐soluble carbohydrates to enhance rumen health and sustainability of dairy cattle production

Klevenhusen

Zebeli

2021

J Sci Food Agric

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cows are adapted to degrade structural plant carbohydrates (SC), such as cellulose and hemicelluloses, prevailing in grasses. Yet, the need for energy-dense diets in many intensive dairy production systems has shifted the dairy cattleʼs diet from SC-rich to high levels of starch. Feeding of starch-rich diets increases the risk of ruminal acidosis in cows, and feeding starch in the form of grains intensifies the competition over cereal grains and arable land among different livestock species, as well as between livestock and humans. Besides cellulose and hemicelluloses, grasses are also often rich in water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), which comprise mono-, di-, oligo-and polysaccharides (fructans). Although the ruminal fermentation profile of monoand disaccharides resembles that of starch, the degradation of oligo-and polysaccharides is slower, and their fermentation elicits a rather protecting effect on ruminal pH. When harvested in an early phase (i.e. ear emergence), grass hay and silages can reach WSC levels up to 150-200 g kg −1 dry matter and energy levels close to starch-rich diets, allowing a significantly reduced inclusion of concentrate supplements. By doing so, this will enhance both rumen health and the sustainability of milk production. However, because the WSC are chemically very heterogeneous, the patterns and extent of their ruminal fermentation are difficult to predict without a clear analytical characterization. This review article aims to summarize both the benefits and potentials, as well as the challenges, with respect to using WSC-rich feedstuffs in the nutrition of dairy cattle and their effects on ruminal fermentation characteristics and milk production.

show abstract

Current status of livestock production in the Nordic countries and future challenges with a changing climate and human population growth

Cited by 15 publications

References 22 publications

Impact of grass silage quality on greenhouse gas emissions from dairy and beef production

Impact of grass silage quality on greenhouse gas emissions from dairy and beef production

Adapting Seasonal Sheep Production to Year-Round Fresh Meat and Halal Market in Norway

A review on the potentials of using feeds rich in water‐soluble carbohydrates to enhance rumen health and sustainability of dairy cattle production

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About