Sustainable Practices for Forage-Based Livestock Production Systems
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal System and Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2024) | Viewed by 2536
Special Issue Editors
Interests: livestock-environment research and education to assist local producers with integrated sustainable practices that benefit their bottom lines, the environment, and public health with an emphasis toward cattle production and climate change
Interests: precision livestock farming; herbivore-plant interactions; adaptive grazing management; ranching technologies; cattle
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Since the late 1980s, there has been a growing body of literature focused on sustainable practices for forage-based (grazing) livestock production systems. This research is multi-faceted and complex because it seeks to identify solutions amid a unique confluence of challenges. Forage-based animal agriculture is the most land-intensive agricultural practice globally. Nevertheless, livestock raised on grasslands or fed harvested forages perform critical roles in ecosystem modification and can convert cellulose to protein, thus supporting human livelihoods (economically and nutritiously) and land management tenure. Globally, forage-based animal agriculture producers are threatened by climate change and a dwindling workforce, and consumers simultaneously demand more and healthier meat products that are ethically and environmentally sourced. Sustainable practices in forage-based livestock production systems are necessary if humans seek to improve animal welfare, increase meat quality and quantity, improve producer livelihoods, and enhance the ecosystem functioning of grazing lands, all while mitigating and adapting to climate change. The complexity of these combined topics is furthered by localized differences in grazing environments that render a one size-fits-all approach unattainable. Nevertheless, emerging strategies, such as matching animals to the environment, utilizing growth-promoting technology and novel feedstuffs, feeding animals in integrated systems, or incorporating precision agriculture tools, offer unique opportunities with which to fine-tune local-scale sustainability.
The aim of this Special Issue is to synthesize the vast research areas surrounding sustainable grazing land innovations and to highlight the most recent advances in the field. We believe that, although disparate, a consolidation of such work will lead to a better understanding of emerging trends, and areas of study that are limited in scope. We also hope that an analysis across topics will lead to innovative collaborative approaches with which to expedite sustainable grazing management in the face of such dire phenomena (e.g., climate change).
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: Precision agriculture as it relates to grazing animals; grazing animal welfare; grass production of ruminant livestock; novel feed strategies; native silvopasture; integration of crop residue or other integrated crop grazing practices; utilization of novel feedstuffs; the organic or natural grass-based finishing of ruminant livestock; the incorporation of heritage or adapted genetics; opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from grazing animal production; the adaptation of grazing livestock systems to emerging climate change trends; the interaction of livestock and pyrological phenomena; opportunities to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) among grazing land managers; strategies to improve the sustainability and resilience of grazing livestock financial systems; new or novel sales strategies for grass-based ruminant production; and tracing animal welfare through the supply chain.
Dr. Matthew M. McIntosh
Dr. Shelemia Nyamuryekung'e
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- sustainable grazing
- precision grazing
- integrated grazing
- welfare
- adapted genetics
- climate change adaptation
- farmer equity and resilience
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