LivestockPlus - The sustainable intensification of forage-based agricultural systems to improve livelihoods and ecosystem services in the tropics

Rao, Idupulapati M.; Peters, Michael; Castro, Aracely; Schultze-Kraft, Raíner; White, Devin; Fisher, Myles J.; Miles, John W.; Lascano, Carlos E.; Blümmel, Michael; Bungenstab, D. J.; Tapasco, Jeimar; Hyman, Glenn; Bolliger, Adrian M.; Paul, Birthe K.; Hoek, Rein van der; Maass, Brigitte L.; Tiemann, Tassilo T.; Cuchillo-Hilario, Mario; Douxchamps, Sabine; Villanueva, Cristóbal; Rincón, Álvaro; Ayarza, Miguel Angel; Rosenstock, Todd; Subbarao, G. V.; Arango, Jacobo; Cardoso, Juan Andrés; Worthington, Margaret; Chirinda, Ngonidzashe; Notenbaert, An Maria Omer; Jenet, Andreas; Schmidt, Axel; Vivas, N.; Lefroy, R. D. B.; Fahrney, Keith; Guimaraes, E.; Tohmé, Joe; Cook, Simon; Herrero, Mario; Chacón, Mario Peña; Searchinger, Timothy D.; Rudel, Thomas K.

doi:10.17138/tgft(3)59-82

Cited by 119 publications

(126 citation statements)

References 89 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…the difference between the actual and attainable yield on the basis of the genetic potential and optimal production conditions without yield limiting and reducing factors) to produce more food while using less land. Rao et al (2015) discussed that the SI of forage-based systems is based on several intensification processes, including genetic intensification, that is, the deployment of productive livestock breeds, and the development and use of grass and legume cultivars selected because of their higher biomass production, nutritive value and persistence relative to native grasses. One key to the successful intensification of tropical forage-based systems is the adequate selection of fodder species, for instance, leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala, Lam.…”

Section: Historical Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Review: Make ruminants green again – how can sustainable intensification and agroecology converge for a better future?

Dumont

Groot

Tichit

2018

Animal

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Livestock farming systems provide multiple benefits to humans: protein-rich diets that contribute to food security, employment and rural economies, capital stock and draught power in many developing countries and cultural landscape all around the world. Despite these positive contributions to society, livestock is also the centre of many controversies as regards to its environmental impacts, animal welfare and health outcomes related to excessive meat consumption. Here, we review the potentials of sustainable intensification (SI) and agroecology (AE) in the design of sustainable ruminant farming systems. We analyse the two frameworks in a historical perspective and show that they are underpinned by different values and worldviews about food consumption patterns, the role of technology and our relationship with nature. Proponents of SI see the increase in animal protein demand as inevitable and therefore aim at increasing production from existing farmland to limit further encroachment into remaining natural ecosystems. Sustainable intensification can thus be seen as an efficiency-oriented framework that benefits from all forms of technological development. Proponents of AE appear more open to dietary shifts towards less animal protein consumption to rebalance the whole food system. Agroecology promotes system redesign, benefits from functional diversity and aims at providing regulating and cultural services. We analyse the main criticisms of the two frameworks: Is SI sustainable? How much can AE contribute to feeding the world? Indeed, in SI, social justice has long lacked attention notably with respect to resource allocation within and between generations. It is only recently that some of its proponents have indicated that there is room to include more diversified systems and food-system transformation perspectives and to build socially fair governance systems. As no space is available for agricultural land expansion in many areas, agroecological approaches that emphasise the importance of local production should also focus more on yield increases from agricultural land. Our view is that new technologies and strict certifications offer opportunities for scaling-up agroecological systems. We stress that the key issue for making digital science part of the agroecological transition is that it remains at a low cost and is thus accessible to smallholder farmers. We conclude that SI and AE could converge for a better future by adopting transformative approaches in the search for ecologically benign, socially fair and economically viable ruminant farming systems.Keywords: ecosystem services, efficiency, food systems, redesign, sustainability ImplicationsThere are different futures for ruminant farming systems as regards to production scenarios, climate mitigation measures and food consumption trends. Sustainable intensification (SI) and agroecology (AE) are two frameworks that aim to design more sustainable systems. Here, we analyse them in a historical perspective and discuss how they have been applied to temperate a...

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Section: Historical Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Review: Make ruminants green again – how can sustainable intensification and agroecology converge for a better future?

Dumont

Groot

Tichit

2018

Animal

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“…yr -1 . Globally, emissions from the livestock sector represent 14.5% of anthropogenic emissions [12], with beef and milk cattle accounting for 41% and 21%, respectively [13]. Recent analysis of beef production showed that some grass-fed beef systems have lower climate impact than feedlot systems [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) aims to improve global food security, while promoting adaptation to climate change and contribute to its mitigation [16]. With respect to CSA, livestock systems in the tropics can contribute to mitigate climate change by reducing GHG emissions and increasing carbon accumulation [17, 18, 16, 13]. Well-managed improved forages can accumulate carbon (C) in the soil at amounts second only to forest [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate-Smart Livestock Systems: An Assessment of Carbon Stocks and GHG Emissions in Nicaragua

Gaitán¹,

Läderach²,

Graefe

et al. 2016

PLoS ONE

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Livestock systems in the tropics can contribute to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing carbon accumulation. We quantified C stocks and GHG emissions of 30 dual-purpose cattle farms in Nicaragua using farm inventories and lifecycle analysis. Trees in silvo-pastoral systems were the main C stock above-ground (16–24 Mg ha-1), compared with adjacent secondary forests (43 Mg C ha-1). We estimated that methane from enteric fermentation contributed 1.6 kg CO2-eq., and nitrous oxide from excreta 0.4 kg CO2-eq. per kg of milk produced. Seven farms that we classified as climate-smart agriculture (CSA) out of 16 farms had highest milk yields (6.2 kg cow-1day-1) and lowest emissions (1.7 kg CO2-eq. per kg milk produced). Livestock on these farms had higher-quality diets, especially during the dry season, and manure was managed better. Increasing the numbers of CSA farms and improving CSA technology will require better enabling policy and incentives such as payments for ecosystem services.

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“…The LivestockPlus concept is based on three interrelated intensification processes namely, genetic intensification, which is the utilization of superior and well-managed forage grass and legume cultivars for increased livestock productivity; ecological intensification, which is the adoption of improved farm and natural resource management practices; and socio-economic intensification, which is the enhancement of institutions and policies, enabling technological changes and supporting their use [6]. To operationalize this concept, technological, management, policy, and cultural changes are needed at several stages along the cattle value chain.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Technological and Management Options for Accelerating Transformational Changes in Rice and Livestock Systems

et al. 2017

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Agricultural producers grapple with low farm yields and declining ecosystem services within their landscapes. In several instances, agricultural production systems may be considered largely unsustainable in socioeconomic and ecological (resource conservation and use and impact on nature) terms. Novel technological and management options that can serve as vehicles to promote the provision of multiple benefits, including the improvement of smallholder livelihoods, are needed. We call for a paradigm shift to allow designing and implementing agricultural systems that are not only efficient (serving as a means to promote development based on the concept of creating more goods and services while using fewer resources and creating less waste) but can also be considered synergistic (symbiotic relationship between socio-ecological systems) by simultaneously contributing to major objectives of economic, ecological, and social (equity) improvement of agro-ecosystems. These transformations require strategic approaches that are supported by participatory system-level research, experimentation, and innovation. Using data from several studies, we here provide evidence for technological and management options that could be optimized, promoted, and adopted to enable agricultural systems to be efficient, effective, and, indeed, sustainable. Specifically, we present results from a study conducted in Colombia, which demonstrated that, in rice systems, improved water management practices such as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) reduce methane emissions (~70%). We also show how women can play a key role in AWD adoption. For livestock systems, we present in vitro evidence showing that the use of alternative feed options such as cassava leaves contributes to livestock feed supplementation and could represent a cost-effective approach for reducing enteric methane emissions (22% to 55%). We argue that to design and benefit from sustainable agricultural systems, there is a need for better targeting of interventions that are co-designed, co-evaluated, and co-promoted, with farmers as allies of transformational change (as done in the climate-smart villages), not as recipients of external knowledge. Moreover, for inclusive sustainability that harnesses existing knowledge and influences decision-making processes across scales, there is a need for constant, efficient, effective, and real trans-disciplinary communication and collaboration.

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LivestockPlus - The sustainable intensification of forage-based agricultural systems to improve livelihoods and ecosystem services in the tropics

Cited by 119 publications

References 89 publications

Review: Make ruminants green again – how can sustainable intensification and agroecology converge for a better future?

Review: Make ruminants green again – how can sustainable intensification and agroecology converge for a better future?

Climate-Smart Livestock Systems: An Assessment of Carbon Stocks and GHG Emissions in Nicaragua

Novel Technological and Management Options for Accelerating Transformational Changes in Rice and Livestock Systems

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