Pasture vs. Feedlot Production: Environmental, Economic, and Animal Welfare Considerations
A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 29 July 2026 | Viewed by 202
Special Issue Editors
Interests: beef cattle; sheep; animal welfare; heat stress; meat production and quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: animal bioclimatology; animal welfare; buffaloes; cattle; sheep
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: beef cattle; sheep; pasture; grazing; Montado ecosystem; silvo-pastoralism
Interests: ruminants; animal welfare; heat stress; dairy farming; physiology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Animal production plays a vital role in ensuring global food security by providing quality protein to a constantly growing world population. Alongside this increase in demand, there is also growing consumer concern about the origin and production methods of food, which has significantly influenced animal production practices and paradigms. Furthermore, the sector is under increasing pressure from global challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, biodiversity loss and the need to ensure the sustainability of agricultural systems.
While there is often debate about whether to raise animals outdoors or in feedlots, one of the main objectives of any production method is efficient production. However, producing more with less is no longer enough. A holistic approach that integrates productivity, animal welfare, environmental sustainability and economic viability is required. The future of animal production depends on our ability to balance these elements, ensuring safe and sustainable food, preserving natural resources, and, at the same time, ensuring profitability, employment, and the development of rural communities.
This Special Issue focuses on this topic, so we aim to bring together the most recent studies addressing aspects of animal production in pasture-based and/or feedlot systems. We especially welcome papers exploring topics such as animal welfare, productivity, feed efficiency, economic and environmental factors, the sustainability of production systems, the rational use of natural resources and technological innovation in livestock management.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Ana Geraldo
Prof. Dr. Alfredo Manuel Franco Pereira
Dr. Emanuel Carreira
Dr. Flávio Silva
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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. Veterinary Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2100 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
- animal production
- animal welfare
- cattle
- environmental impact
- feedlots
- grazing systems
- livestock efficiency
- productivity
- sheep and goats
- sustainability
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