Incorporating Diversity Into Animal Production Systems Can Increase Their Performance and Strengthen Their Resilience

Dumont, Bertrand; Puillet, Laurence; Martin, Guillaume; Savietto, Davi; Aubin, Joël; Ingrand, Stéphane; Niderkorn, Vincent; Steinmetz, Lucille; Thomas, Marielle

doi:10.3389/fsufs.2020.00109

Cited by 54 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 97 publications

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“…The heterogeneity of animals is an intrinsic characteristic of living beings, and is useful for structuring and managing the diversity of animals [ 37 ]. However, encouraging diversity to promote the transition to agroecology is widely accepted [ 38 , 39 ] and is especially interesting in relation to building the resilience of systems [ 40 , 41 ]. On the breeding system scale, works have essentially been structured on the analysis of the diversity of breeding females and, in particular, on genetic and functional diversity and its capacity to build and maintain zootechnic performance [ 42 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Management of Lamb Heterogeneity is a Tool for Farmers’ Marketing Strategies

Nozières-Petit

Moulin

2021

Animals

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The technical processes used in sheep farming systems are elaborate and difficult to control. The result is a certain heterogeneity in marketed lambs. The aim of this study was to understand how farmers use their practices and modes of marketing to manage and exploit this heterogeneity. We analyzed livestock farming systems in Languedoc-Roussillon (South of France) through eight case studies. We characterize the heterogeneity of lambs during their growth and sale and how the farmers cope with this. Our analysis shows how this heterogeneity, whether intentionally created or merely endured, can be used to invest in different marketing chains. Heterogeneity not only offers adaptable farmers marketing opportunities, but also a method of managing production risks.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Management of Lamb Heterogeneity is a Tool for Farmers’ Marketing Strategies

Nozières-Petit

Moulin

2021

Animals

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“…Figure adapted from Milstein (2005) and Dumont et al . (2020). The species are complementary in their use of trophic resources due to their different diets and/or trophic plasticity.…”

Section: Polyculture Approaches In Aquaculture and Their Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Figure adapted from Milstein (2005) and Dumont et al . (2020). This bottom‐up control illustrates facilitation in the pond.…”

Section: Polyculture Approaches In Aquaculture and Their Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using species diversity to break the monoculture paradigm is currently considered a key agroecological principle for redesigning systems (Gaba et al ., 2015; Altieri, Nicholls & Montalba, 2017). In terrestrial environments, animal species diversity has been shown to increase resilience to economic disturbances, decrease animal sensitivity to parasitism (Sabatier et al ., 2015; Dumont et al ., 2020), and increase sustainability in food and nutrition security (Frison, Cherfas & Hodgkin, 2011). In this review, we assess how polyculture can facilitate the transition of agriculture towards sustainable development.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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When more is more: taking advantage of species diversity to move towards sustainable aquaculture

et al. 2020

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Human population growth has increased demand for food products, which is expected to double in coming decades. Until recently, this demand has been met by expanding agricultural area and intensifying agrochemical‐based monoculture of a few species. However, this development pathway has been criticised due to its negative impacts on the environment and other human activities. Therefore, new production practices are needed to meet human food requirements sustainably in the future. Herein, we assert that polyculture practices can ensure the transition of aquaculture towards sustainable development. We review traditional and recent polyculture practices (ponds, recirculated aquaculture systems, integrated multi‐trophic aquaculture, aquaponics, integrated agriculture–aquaculture) to highlight how they improve aquaculture through the coexistence and interactions of species. This overview highlights the importance of species compatibility (i.e. species that can live in the same farming environment without detrimental interactions) and complementarity (i.e. complementary use of available resources and/or commensalism/mutualism) to achieve efficient and ethical aquaculture. Overall, polyculture combines aspects of productivity, environmental protection, resource sharing, and animal welfare. However, several challenges must be addressed to facilitate polyculture development across the world. We developed a four‐step conceptual framework for designing innovative polyculture systems. This framework highlights the importance of (i) using prospective approaches to consider which species to combine, (ii) performing integrated assessment of rearing environments to determine in which farming system a particular combination of species is the most relevant, (iii) developing new tools and strategies to facilitate polyculture system management, and (iv) implementing polyculture innovation for relevant stakeholders involved in aquaculture transitions.

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“…In addition, grassland-based systems provide a wide range of ecosystem services (Rodríguez-Ortega et al, 2014), including unique cultural services such as landscape aesthetics, gastronomic heritage, and educational and spiritual experiences (Oteros-Rozas et al, 2014;Huber and Finger, 2020). Grasslandbased agroecological (Dumont et al, 2013(Dumont et al, , 2020Duru and Therond, 2015) and organic (Bouttes et al, 2019) farming systems are thus expected not only to reduce the external inputs required for meat and milk production, including soybeans and corn for animal feeds, mineral fertilizers, and energy, but also to provide a more balanced portfolio of ecosystem services than intensive production areas (Foley et al, 2005;Dumont et al, 2019). This, however, requires adequate management of herds and grasslands.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobilizing Ecological Processes for Herbivore Production: Farmers and Researchers Learning Together

Dumont¹,

Modernel²,

Benoît³

et al. 2020

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Incorporating Diversity Into Animal Production Systems Can Increase Their Performance and Strengthen Their Resilience

Cited by 54 publications

References 97 publications

The Management of Lamb Heterogeneity is a Tool for Farmers’ Marketing Strategies

The Management of Lamb Heterogeneity is a Tool for Farmers’ Marketing Strategies

When more is more: taking advantage of species diversity to move towards sustainable aquaculture

Mobilizing Ecological Processes for Herbivore Production: Farmers and Researchers Learning Together

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