Sustainability of Local Dairy Farming Systems: Second Edition
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal System and Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 2
Special Issue Editors
Interests: farming systems; dairy; agricultural and food safety economics; animal feed; feed technology; dairy science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: technological innovation; viability and decision making in livestock enterprises; economic analysis and competitiveness of dairy farms (organics and conventional); sustainability of mixed systems; consumer satisfaction (cheese and other derived products)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: ruminant nutrition; nitrogen and methane; dairy farm management and efficiency; system dynamics modeling; feed and environment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Local dairy farming remains one of the most vital and resilient sources of animal protein for millions of people worldwide. Its importance is particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries, where small-scale systems ensure the daily supply of milk and dairy products while also sustaining household incomes, rural employment, and cultural traditions. These farms thus play a central role in food security, nutrition, and local development. However, they are increasingly challenged to achieve environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
Environmental pressures demand lower carbon and nitrogen footprints, more efficient use of water and forage resources, and improved manure and effluent management to safeguard soils and aquifers. Economically, fragmented production structures, rising input costs, climate variability, and limited access to finance and technology constrain profitability. Socially, generational renewal, gender equity, market formalization, and stronger farmer organizations are key to long-term viability.
This Special Issue welcomes high-quality contributions that advance the sustainability of local dairy systems. We are particularly interested in research that (i) quantifies and mitigates environmental impacts, (ii) explores strategies for sustainable intensification and feed efficiency, (iii) proposes inclusive business and institutional models, (iv) integrates animal welfare, One Health, and milk quality into continuous improvement frameworks, and (v) develops decision-support tools. Manuscripts adopting interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approaches, combining rigorous methodologies with clear performance indicators, will be especially valued.
Dr. Paula Toro Mujica
Prof. Dr. Antón García-Martínez
Dr. Alberto Stanislao Atzori
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
- dairy
- sustainability
- food security
- smallholders
- livestock
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Related Special Issue
- Sustainability of Local Dairy Farming Systems in Animals (7 articles)
