?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=https%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2Fid%2Feprint%2F36383%2F&rft.title=Organic+dairy+farming%3A+towards+sustainability&rft.creator=Leiber%2C+Florian&rft.creator=M%C3%BCller%2C+Adrian&rft.creator=Maurer%2C+Veronika&rft.creator=Schader%2C+Christian&rft.creator=Bieber%2C+Anna&rft.subject=+Dairy+cattle&rft.subject=+Health+and+welfare&rft.subject=+Produce+chain+management&rft.description=Livestock+is+a+key+element+of+organic+agriculture.+The+concept+of+closed+nutrient+cycles+requires+the+close+integration+of+crop+and+livestock+systems+whenever+possible+within+a+farm%2C+or+at+least+within+regions+(e.g.+IFOAM%2C+2014%3B+Bioland%2C+2016%3B+Bio+Suisse%2C+2016).+Ruminants+play+a+particularly+important+role+in+integrated+organic+systems%2C+since+they+can+efficiently+utilize+grassland+resources%2C+legume+forages+from+crop+rotations+and+crop+residues%2C+and+they+provide+valuable+manure+for+the+soil.+However%2C+large+amounts+of+concentrates+are+still+fed+to+organic+cattle%2C+requiring+the+transport+of+soya+bean+on+a+large+scale+across+the+globe+(Fr%C3%BCh+et+al.%2C+2014)+with+severe+ecological+and+social+consequences+(Pellentier+and+Tyedmers+2010%3B+Semino+et+al.%2C+2009).+Furthermore%2C+the+demand+for+arable+land+areas+to+produce+cereals+for+organic+ruminant+production+is+still+very+high.+This+is+a+status+quo+that+should+be+overcome+against+the+background+of+the+environmental+and+social+claims+of+organic+agriculture+(IFOAM%2C+2014).+On+the+other+hand%2C+it+is+particularly+the+ruminal+digestion+of+fibre+which+produces+methane%2C+thus+directly+impacting+climate+change+dynamics+in+a+most+problematic+way+(Beauchemin+et+al.%2C+2008).%0D%0AIn+this+context%2C+a+dilemma+of+contemporary+ruminant+production+becomes+obvious%2C+which+is+of+particular+relevance+for+the+targets+of+organic+systems+as+there+seem+to+be+serious+contradictions+between+some+of+the+key+aspects+of+sustainable+livestock+production.+These+can+be+summarized+as+follows%3A+a)+Globally%2C+it+appears+unavoidable+to+make+efficient+and+ecologically+sustainable+use+of+the+large+permanent+grassland+resources+for+animal+source+food+production%2C+thereby+lowering+the+demand+for+livestock+feed+from+arable+land+(Wilkinson%2C+2011%3B+O%E2%80%99Mara%2C+2012%3B+Schader+et+al.%2C+2015).+b)+Ruminants%2C+as+important+providers+of+dairy+and+meat+products%2C+are+the+most+efficient+livestock+species+to+utilize+fibrous+grassland+swards+(Clauss+et+al.%2C+2010)%2C+and+are%2C+compared+to+poultry+and+pigs%2C+less+efficient+in+utilizing+human-edible+feedstuffs%2C+when+these+are+fed+in+high+proportions+(Wilkinson%2C+2011).+c)+The+digestion+of+fibre+is+the+most+prominent+source+of+enteric+methane+production+in+ruminants+(Johnson+and+Johnson%2C+1995).+This+results+in+the+apparent+dilemma+that+the+more+a+ruminant+production+system+is+based+on+roughages+and+avoids+concentrates%2C+the+higher+the+methane+emission+is+per+unit+of+product+(Beauchemin+et+al.%2C+2008%3B+Grandl+et+al.%2C+2016)%2C+a+challenge+which+is+even+more+relevant+for+organic+dairy+production%2C+due+to+lower+yields.+Possible+options+to+deal+with+this+dilemma+are+more+holistic+and+systemic+views+on+agricultural+production+systems%2C+the+integration+of+milk+and+meat+production+in+dual-output+production+systems+(Zehetmeier+et+al.%2C+2012)%2C+the+integration+of+feeding+systems+with+breeding+schemes+(Spengler+Neff+et+al.%2C+2007)+and+critically+assessing+what+level+of+demand+for+animal+products+is+reasonable+and+responsible+(Schader+et+al.%2C+2015).%0D%0AFurthermore%2C+organic+principles+aim+at+high+animal+welfare%2C+based+on+choice+of+suitable+breeds%2C+species-appropriate+management%2C+housing+and+feeding+conditions.+This+implies+space+requirements%2C+animal-friendly+barn+systems%2C+explicit+framing+of+the+human%E2%80%93animal+relationship+and%2C+again%2C+the+principle+that+ruminant+grazers+such+as+cattle+and+sheep+should+be+predominantly+fed+on+roughages%2C+while+high+proportions+of+concentrates+are+considered+inappropriate+for+these+species.+This+is+another+reason+why+organic+principles+include+restrictions+on+supplying+ruminants+with+concentrates.+Animal+health+is+a+further+key+target+of+organic+dairy+systems.+Currently%2C+the+average+productive+lifetime+of+dairy+cows+in+conventional+systems+is+clearly+lower+than+three+lactations+in+many+industrialized+countries+(Knaus%2C+2009%3B+Stiglbauer+et+al.%2C+2013).+The+most+common+reasons+for+culling+are+fertility+problems%2C+diseases+of+the+mammary+gland+or+lameness+(Pritchard+et+al.%2C+2013)%2C+which+may+all+be+considered+to+be+potentially+related+to+metabolic+problems+due+to+high+yields+and+inappropriate+feeding+(Knaus%2C+2009).+There+is+no+general+evidence+that+the+figures+are+better+for+organic+cows%2C+but+the+high+significance+of+animal+welfare+in+organic+standards+requires+farmers+to+pay+particular+attention+to+this+problem.+This+is+further+reinforced+by+the+fact+that+realizing+a+long+productive+lifespan+integrates+higher+animal+welfare+with+environmental+and+production+efficiency+(Zehetmeier+et+al.%2C+2012%3B+Grandl+et+al.%2C+2016).%0D%0AIn+conclusion%2C+the+main+issue+requiring+a+solution+for+sustainable+organic+dairy+production+is+the+proper+fit+of+regionally+available+feed+resources%2C+feeding+systems+and+breeding+strategies+with+the+target+of+optimal+roughage+utilization%2C+low+emissions+and+healthy+long-living+cows.+The+implied+contradictions+represent+big+tasks+for+research+and+system+development+and+are+a+core+challenge+for+achieving+sustainable+food+systems.&rft.publisher=Burleigh+Dodds+Science+Publishing+Limited&rft.contributor=Vaarst%2C+Mette&rft.contributor=Roderick%2C+Stephen&rft.date=2019&rft.type=Book+chapter&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=%2Fid%2Feprint%2F36383%2F1%2FLeiber-etal-2019_BurleighDodds-chapter11-p1-19.pdf&rft.identifier=+++Leiber%2C+Florian%3B+M%C3%BCller%2C+Adrian%3B+Maurer%2C+Veronika%3B+Schader%2C+Christian+and+Bieber%2C+Anna++++(2019)+Organic+dairy+farming%3A+towards+sustainability.++++In%3A+Vaarst%2C+Mette+and+Roderick%2C+Stephen+(Eds.)+++Improving+organic+animal+farming.++Burleigh+Dodds+Science+Publishing+Limited%2C+Cambridge%2C+UK%2C+chapter+11%2C+pp.+225-244.+++++++++