Environmental Sustainability

View the Good Practices and Research Innovations relating to this topic on the BovINE Knowledge Hub here

Within this priority topic, we will map different strategies to reduce enteric emission. Good practices could be those that investigate different feed options, feed additives, farm types (extensive vs intensive) and management strategies (breeding and fertility). Farm types can include calf producer, beef finisher or both.  

View the Good Practices and Research Innovations relating to this topic on the BovINE Knowledge Hub here

View the Good Practices and Research Innovations relating to this topic on the BovINE Knowledge Hub here

For this topic, we will search for solutions on how to reduce the nutrient leaching into surface water. Mainly nitrogen (N) losses into surface water by the use of animal manure and fertilizer on crops/fields. Good practices should be those that decrease the use of manure/fertilizer and improve efficient fertilization of the crops/field, etc.  

View the Good Practices and Research Innovations relating to this topic on the BovINE Knowledge Hub here

Lately, the consumer becomes more aware of environmental issues and wants to help tackle global warming. From their perspective, labels are a good way to know better what they are buying. However, to achieve such a label, a farmer has to invest time and money, which is not always available. How can we help the farmers? Which reward systems are available for tackling environmental problems? Which environmental problems should be tackled? 

From the European Union, the Green Deal is coming up with the Farm-to-Fork strategy. This strategy promotes a healthy and more sustainable EU food system. It is a very ambitious strategy with tight goals related to global warming and environmental pollution from agriculture. It also describes, via the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), how initiatives should be rewarded. However, the CAP cannot finance all these investments; they rely also on other public or private initiatives. These are only a few of the options to support the farmer, but how exactly will this help the farmer? 

These are a few of the questions and topics we would like to tackle in the upcoming year. During a brainstorming session in our TWG, we developed the following road map for the coming year: we will map all existing reward systems over the different regions, related to beef production. Once we have the overview, we will classify them to have a better overview of the different types that are already available. In addition, we will look to other animal systems (small ruminants, poultry, swine) if certain reward systems used could be interesting for beef production. Further, we will look in scientific literature to cluster all relevant (and correct) information on environmental pollution, problem areas, global change, etc. to have information to educate the consumer better. In addition, we will also add information on the positive role of beef systems on environmental issues (diversity, landscape, etc.). When all information is collected, we would like to sit together with beef farmers to discuss which parts in such a system are feasible and which parts are difficult to achieve. Also, it would be interesting to hear from the farmer what their vision is on a reward system and how to finance this. At the end, based on everything we gathered, we will propose different innovations within a reward system and would like to be able to describe the best (potential) reward system. 

CO2 is a gas emitted by human activity, being released in the atmosphere. It counts for 63% of anthropogenic global warming. Plants are able to capture CO2 by photosynthesis and store it in the soil and in the roots, leaves and stems of the plant. This process is called carbon sequestration/soil sequestration and contributes to mitigating the global warming potential of CO2. 

It is known that forests, as well as grasslands, are very efficient in capturing carbon. In addition, the soil type also plays an important role in this storage. For example, clay soil holds C better than sandy soil. But how much C is stored in the different soil types and under different crop types? What is the influence of crop rotation? And what are the best practices for a farmer to adopt on his farm? 

Looking into the literature, we would like to provide an answer to these questions. First, we will capture all information related to carbon storage in different crops, soils, etc. to have an overview of what situation has the best potential. Second, we will formulate different research innovations to improve carbon sequestration in beef farming. Third, we would like to provide an overview table where you can see the window of potential carbon sequestration related to the cropping system, region, grassland, etc. 

Farmers become more aware of the environmental impact of livestock farming and are experiencing demand from the government and consumers for more sustainable livestock farming. The European Green Deal and Farm-to-Fork strategy came up with tight goals related to global warming and environmental pollution from agriculture and describe, via the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), how initiatives should be rewarded. There are big differences between farms and the efforts they make. Progressive farmer have already implemented several good practices on their farm and are open to innovation. Others are more hesitant because they are unsure of the beneficial effects, possible costs or impact on their economic profitability. Both for farmers, but also for consumers and policy makers, it is important to quantify the environmental impact of a farm and the effect of sustainability efforts a farm has made or intends to make.

Environmental sustainability obviously includes the carbon footprint of a farm (enteric emission, carbon footprint of feeds), but is broader than that. Efforts towards biodiversity, improvements of soil and water quality, water and electricity consumption are also important aspects of ecological sustainability. Through carbon sequestration and sustainable management of permanent pasture the carbon footprint of livestock can be in part compensated and by manure management the nutrient cycle at a farm can be closed, lowering the nutrient inputs and loses.

In the upcoming year we will map, evaluate and compare existing tools for calculating the environmental sustainability of beef cattle farms. One example is the French CAP2ER, which was demonstrated in several counties last year. Once we have the overview of existing tools, we will classify them according to the indicators they evaluate. Further, we will look in scientific literature to collect and evaluate the models and assumptions behind the impact indicators used in the different tools. In addition, we will not only evaluate the tools but also search in publications about the application of these tools how to improve environmental sustainability indicators by measures at farm level.

Biodiversity is, in short, the variety of life in a certain area. It not only includes all species of plants and animals in an ecosystem, but also micro-organisms in soil and interactions between all organisms in an ecosystem. Biodiversity is put under pressure by humans, among other things by intensive agricultural systems and high nutrient pressures. Deforestation causes soil erosion, intensive manure application and nitrous emission cause eutrophication and acidification of soil and water, agricultural monoculture makes can make crops more vulnerable to pests and diseases and reduces insect populations and soil life.

which was demonstrated, such as pests, pollution and drought. So it is important to return to more diverse farming systems. Conventional farms are organised on having monoculture crops and cultivating land as intensively as possible and need to be convinced that it can also bring productivity benefits. At the same time, we are seeing more cooperation between nature conservation associations and farmers, and there are more incentives to engage in biodiverse agriculture, through the EU Biodiversity strategy as part of the EU Green deal, but also from local authorities.

In the upcoming year, we will collect innovations and good practices that can help farmers in different European regions and farming on diverse terrains to take biodiversity measures, at plot level, at farm levels but also at regional level. We will not only focus on measures for crops and grassland management but also on measures that improve soil biodiversity and water quality. Next, it is important that farmers can evaluate the effect of their farming practices on biodiversity indications on the one hand and on their economic return on the other hand. Good examples will rise awareness and encourage other farmers to follow.