{Tool} Pasture-based feeding and robust breeds for climate resilience. Creator(s): Dietemann, Lauren. Issuing Organisation(s): FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture. (2026)
![[thumbnail of video.php_y=https_%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch_v=kiKL9edMjbs&t=20s]](/style/images/fileicons/video.png) |
Video (MPEG)
- Published Version
- English
163B |
Document available online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiKL9edMjbs&t=20s
Summary
Here at Ferma Catean in Rotbav, Romania, the Carpathian mountain pastures have been farmed for over 300 years. The approach to climate resilience in livestock management combines two elements: high nature value pastures with incredible biodiversity, and traditional Romanian breeds that have adapted to the mountain climate over centuries. In this video, George Cățean show you how our pasture-based feeding system and our choice of robust local breeds work together to build resilience against climate extremes.
| EPrint Type: | Practice tool |
|---|---|
| Teaser: | Local cow and sheep breeds for resilient livestock farming. |
| What problem does the tool address?: | Farmers in the Transylvania region of Romania (Brașov area, Carpathian Mountains), practicing extensive pasture-based farming with local cattle and sheep breeds, face increasingly severe and unpredictable climate change impacts: extreme summer droughts that drastically shorten the grazing season, winters that have become dry and snow-poor rather than the traditionally snowy conditions, and unseasonal cold snaps disrupting field activity timing. These changes threaten animal welfare, feed availability, and the financial sustainability of small mountain farms—especially given the historical reliance on natural pasture and self-produced feed (a 2023 drought, for example, cut the grazing season short by roughly a month, forcing early and costly supplemental feeding). |
| What solution does the tool offer?: | The farmer at the Ferma Catean responds with a resilience-oriented, low-input farming model built around several practices: -Local, resilient animal breeds: using heritage cattle (Bălțată) and sheep (Țurcană, Țigaie) breeds valued not for maximum yield but for their proven resilience to climate stress, alongside their role in preserving agricultural heritage. -Extensive/pasture-based system: animals graze organic-certified pastureland (since 2018) during summer and return to the stable in winter, supporting animal welfare and influencing milk and cheese quality through the nature-to-plate connection. -Diversified, self-sufficient feed production: growing corn and alfalfa on part of their ~300 hectares to produce roughly 90% of feed needs in-house, with alfalfa also fixing soil nutrients and supporting crop rotation with corn—balancing resilience with financial sustainability. -Flexible feed-cut strategy: adjusting the number of alfalfa cuts per season (up to five in good years, as few as three in dry years) and allowing animals to graze the final cut directly, adapting to variable weather rather than following a fixed input schedule. -Equipment modernization: recently upgrading to newer, lower-tier equipment aimed at improving both production outcomes and long-term soil health, while monitoring financial performance. -Long-term, quality-over-quantity philosophy: prioritizing animal longevity (cows kept up to 10 years) and product quality over maximizing short-term yield, framed as a more sustainable long-term strategy that the farmer suggests other farmers could adopt. |
| Country: | Romania |
| Type of Practice Tool: | Video |
| Keywords: | climate change, climate change adaptation, climate-smart agriculture, resilience, sheep, cattle, small ruminants, animal breeding, animal genetics, feeding, grassland management, grazing lands, biodiversity |
| Agrovoc keywords: | Language Value URI English climate change http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1666 English climate change adaptation http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1374567058134 English climate-smart agriculture http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1361789093890 English resilience http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1374480530924 English sheep http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7030 English cattle http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1391 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 grassland management http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3364 English grazing lands http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3369 English biodiversity http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33949 |
| Subjects: | Animal husbandry > Production systems > Dairy cattle Animal husbandry > Production systems > Beef cattle Animal husbandry > Production systems > Sheep and goats Environmental aspects > Biodiversity and ecosystem services Environmental aspects |
| Research affiliation: | European Union > Horizon Europe > OrganicClimateNET > created in project Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Knowledge exchange > Videos European Union > Organic Farm Knowledge Romania > Other organizations Romania |
| Horizon Europe or H2020 Grant Agreement Number: | 101136880 |
| Related Links: | https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/57896, https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/55145, https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/54324, https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/54306, https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/53635, https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/43978, https://organicclimatenet.eu/ |
| Project ID: | OFK |
| Deposited By: | Dietemann, Lauren |
| ID Code: | 57896 |
| Deposited On: | 15 Jul 2026 12:47 |
| Last Modified: | 15 Jul 2026 12:47 |
| Document Language: | English, German/Deutsch, Dutch/Nederlands, Estonian/Eesti, Finnish/Suomea, French/Francais, Italian/Italiano, Latvian/Lettish/Latviesu, Polish/Polski, Portuguese/Portugues, Romanian/Română, Spanish/Español |
| Status: | Published |
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