SUSTAINABLE ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Understanding of the relationships among the animal production systems, the environment and the territory with focus on the natural resources protection, degradation or pollution. Identification of the strength and weakness points of each animal production system. Knowledge of technical and political mitigation strategies. Knowledge of the agro-environmental sustainability indicators. At the end of the course, the student will have acquired the specific knowledge of the sector functional to territorial planning.

Frontal lessons held by the teacher; seminars and exercises (classroom and / or educational visits) held by the teacher or by experts on the subject.

If teaching will be be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, if the conditions require it.

1. Animal production systems and products of animal origin: comments on FAO statistical data. Animal production systems classification according to FAO. Intensive and extensive animal production systems. Natural resources use in animal production systems.

2. Animal production systems as a means of land protection or degradation. Technical and political mitigation strategies. Livestock carrying capacity. Notes on dry matter intake in grazing animals. Multifunctionality and ecosystem services of grazing systems.

3. Animal production systems and environmental pollution. Technical and feeding strategies to mitigate nitrogen and phoshporus pollution from livestock. Livestock and greenhouses gas emissions: notes on carbon footprint. Livestock and water: notes on water footprint.

4. GIS applied to livestock field: some examples.

5. Organic livestock system. Differences between conventional and organic systems according to the EU rules.

6. Sustainability of animal production systems. Proper indicators in the different animal production systems. EU agro-environmental indicators.

Stefanon B., Mele M., Pulina G. Allevamento animale e sosteniblità ambientale. I principi. FrancoAngeli Editore, 2018.

Educational material complementary to the textbook will be uploaded on Studium during the course. The educational material includes notes, articles taken from national scientific journals and slides discussed during the lessons.