Sustainable organic and low-input dairying: Farmer Handbook

{Tool} Sustainable organic and low-input dairying: Farmer Handbook. Creator(s): Padel, Susanne; Zaralis, Konstantinos and Measures, Mark. Issuing Organisation(s): ORC - Organic Research Centre. (2016)

Preview	Image (PNG) - Cover Image - English 1MB
Preview	PDF - Published Version - English 3MB

Document available online at: https://farmadvice.solidairy.eu/index.html@p=805.html

Summary in the original language of the document

In this series of technical notes we are presenting a selection of results and recommendations of the work undertaken in SOLID aimed at those working in such industries. The results are derived from the participatory research but also from more traditional scientific experiments carried out as part of the SOLID project

EPrint Type:	Practice tool
Teaser:	Technical notes on sustainable organic and low-input darying.
What problem does the tool address?:	There is increasing recognition of the ability of organic and low input systems to deliver a variety of benefits, but the same systems are faced with a number of constraints including how to develop appropriate breeding and feeding strategies and deal with health, welfare, financial and environmental challenges, all of which sit within the frame of uncertain policy support and volatile markets. Much of this relates to a lack of knowledge about such systems.
What solution does the tool offer?:	Partners and researchers have collaborated closely with farmers in many project activities, ranging from dairy goat producers in Greece and Spain to dairy cow producers with large and small herds, from Romania to Finland. As an illustration of the great diversity, overall, farms included landless dairy goat farms in Spain and Flanders, goats that ranged over more than 300 ha of common land in Spain and Greece, and dairy cow farms above 200 ha in Denmark and UK. Herd sizes ranged from nine cows (Finland) to over 300 cows (Italy, Denmark, UK) and 22 goats (Spain) to 1150 goats (Flanders), with milk sales for cows both under 3000 l/year (where cheese is also made) and over 10,000 l/year, and for goats between 117 and 900 l/year. To identify research priorities sustainability assessments were carried out on more than 100 dairy farms (organic/ low-input) in nine countries across Europe, followed by workshops where the results were discussed and potential topics for research identified. The process of the farm sustainability assessment was largely viewed positively by farmers, SME partners and researchers. The output of the tool illustrated differences between countries and between cow and goat enterprises. The most valuable outcome of using such an assessment tool was to encourage discussion about sustainability in its widest sense. Farmers suggested a range of research topics related to: Feeding, Forage production, Soil and nutrient management, Breeds and breeding, Animal health and welfare, Product differentiation and marketing and Energy use. To identify the final topics of study farmers and researchers worked together to narrow down the questions, identify other research that had been done elsewhere and look for specific farms where any trial could be carried out.
Country:	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Type of Practice Tool:	Leaflets & guidelines
Keywords:	climate change, cattle, grazing, small ruminants, animal breeding, animal genetics, feeding, animal nutrition, feeds, animal health, animal welfare, biodiversity, nature conservation
Agrovoc keywords:	Language Value URI English climate change http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1666 English grasslands http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3366 English grassland management http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3364 English dairy cattle http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2108 English grazing http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_25243 English small ruminants http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_32579 English animal breeding http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_423 English animal genetics http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_49986 English feeding http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2838 English animal nutrition http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_27925 English feeds http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2843 English animal health http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_431 English animal welfare http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_443 English biodiversity http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33949 English nature conservation http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_5092 English carbon sequestration http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_331583
Subjects:	Animal husbandry > Production systems > Dairy cattle Animal husbandry > Feeding and growth Animal husbandry > Breeding and genetics Animal husbandry > Production systems > Sheep and goats Animal husbandry > Health and welfare Environmental aspects > Biodiversity and ecosystem services
Research affiliation:	European Union > 7th Framework Programme > SOLID European Union > Horizon Europe > OrganicClimateNET > selected tools European Union > Organic Farm Knowledge UK > Organic Research Centre (ORC)
Horizon Europe or H2020 Grant Agreement Number:	101136880
Related Links:	https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/55145, https://organicclimatenet.eu/, https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/54324, https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/43978
Project ID:	OFK
Deposited By:	Rüger, Madelaine Lea
ID Code:	55145
Deposited On:	21 Mar 2025 11:16
Last Modified:	21 Mar 2025 11:16
Document Language:	English
Status:	Published

Repository Staff Only: item control page