BOOK
Improving organic animal farming
Dr Mette Vaarst | Dr Stephen Roderick | Dr Mette Vaarst | Dr Stephen Roderick | Dr Susanne Padel | Mr L. G. Smith | Dr A. G. Williams | Dr Lindsay K. Whistance | Dr K. Ellis | Dr Alfredo J. Escribano | Dr J. Ryschawy | Prof. Raphael Wahome | Dr Caroline Chepkoech | Dr Silvia Ivemeyer | Anna Bieber | Dr A. Spengler Neff | Prof. Florian Leiber | Dr A. Muller | Dr Veronika Maurer | Dr C. Schader | Dr Isabel Blanco-Penedo | Dr José Perea-Muñoz | Dr Georgios Arsenos | Dr Angeliki Argyriadou | Dr Sotiria Vouraki | Dr Athanasios Gelasakis | Dr Barbara Frűh | Dr Mirjam Holinger | Dr Klaus Horsted | Dr Timo Stadtlander | Dr Nicola Bradbear
(2019)
Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
This collection reviews key research addressing key challenges faced by organic animal farming in improving yields, animal nutrition and health. Part 1 assesses current research on environmental impact, promoting animal health, enhancing naturalness and welfare. It also reviews how organic systems fit in with agroforestry, pastoralist and other smallholder farming systems.
The second part of the book includes case studies from leading experts on current research in improving the farming of particular species. Chapters review challenges and opportunities in organic dairy and beef farming, sheep and goats, pigs and poultry. There are also chapters on organic aquaculture as well as organic and natural beekeeping.
With its distinguished editors and international team of expert authors, this will be a standard reference for all those researching organic animal farming as well as the organic livestock farmers, organic certification and regulatory bodies.
Organic animal farming is growing rapidly but faces a range of challenges in areas such as nutrition, health and welfare. This volume surveys the wealth of research addressing these challenges. The book start with a review of organic principles and the key question of the right breeds for organic farming. It then discusses forage-based nutrition and animal health as well as safety and environmental impact. The volume goes on to assess different types of organic animal farming, from smallholder tropical to pastoral rangeland systems. It concludes by focussing on key issues in the organic farming of beef and dairy cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep and goats, fish and bees.
Edited by two leading authorities in the field, and with an international team of expert authors, this will be a standard reference for all those interested in understanding, improving and promoting organic animal farming.
Sample content
Not sure what you're getting if you buy this book? Click on the cover image below to open a PDF and preview pages from the book. Alternatively, watch our informative video introduction.“Organic livestock production has come a long way since any major, comprehensive summary of it was last published so this book is hugely welcome. The cast of editors and authors, all leaders in their field, makes the book a reliable reference work for years to come.”
Dr Malla Hovi, Veterinary Epidemiologist, Consultant, Preventable Surprises
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improving organic animal farming | i | ||
| Contents | v | ||
| Series list | x | ||
| Acknowledgements and dedication | xv | ||
| Chapter 1 Setting the scene: the continued drive to improve organic animal farming | 1 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 1 | ||
| 2 Challenges of organic animal farming | 2 | ||
| 3 Animals in organic farming | 4 | ||
| 4 Organic animal farming and climate change | 5 | ||
| 5 Organic smallholder farming in the tropics | 6 | ||
| 6 Specific issues addressed for each animal species | 7 | ||
| 7 Organic aquaculture | 8 | ||
| 8 Organic bee keeping | 9 | ||
| 9 Future trends and conclusion | 9 | ||
| 10 References | 10 | ||
| Part 1 Concepts in organic \nanimal farming | 11 | ||
| Chapter 2 The principles of organic livestock farming | 13 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 13 | ||
| 2 Foundational principles of organic livestock farming | 14 | ||
| 3 Implementing principles of organic livestock farming | 17 | ||
| 4 The future of organic principles in livestock farming | 25 | ||
| 5 Conclusion | 26 | ||
| 6 Where to look for further information | 27 | ||
| 7 References | 28 | ||
| Chapter 3 The effects of organic management on greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency in livestock production | 33 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 33 | ||
| 2 Strategies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency in organic farming | 38 | ||
| 3 Examples of innovation in practice: livestock farmers progressing towards greenhouse gas mitigation | 45 | ||
| 4 Challenges and opportunities in research\nand development | 48 | ||
| 5 Conclusion and future trends | 51 | ||
| 6 Acknowledgements | 51 | ||
| 7 Where to look for further information | 52 | ||
| 8 References | 52 | ||
| Chapter 4 Rethinking and engaging with animal health in organic farming | 59 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 59 | ||
| 2 Animal health as a dynamic and holistic concept of resilience | 64 | ||
| 3 How can we ensure animal health in practice? | 65 | ||
| 4 ‘One health’ in organic animal farming? | 70 | ||
| 5 Engaging in health promotion and care in organic animal herds | 72 | ||
| 6 Conclusion | 74 | ||
| 7 Where to look for further information | 74 | ||
| 8 References | 75 | ||
| Chapter 5 Enhancing naturalness and human care in organic animal farming | 79 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 79 | ||
| 2 Principles and standards of organic farming | 80 | ||
| 3 Naturalness | 83 | ||
| 4 Mutilations and farming systems | 85 | ||
| 5 Measuring welfare | 86 | ||
| 6 Human care | 91 | ||
| 7 Future trends | 96 | ||
| 8 Where to look for further information | 97 | ||
| 9 References | 98 | ||
| Chapter 6 Biosecurity and safety for humans \nand animals in organic animal farming | 103 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 103 | ||
| 2 The challenges of biosecurity risk in organic farming | 104 | ||
| 3 Food safety summary | 112 | ||
| 4 Controlling infectious diseases | 113 | ||
| 5 Conclusions and future trends | 114 | ||
| 6 Case studies | 115 | ||
| 7 Where to look for further information | 118 | ||
| 8 References | 119 | ||
| Chapter 7 Integrated crop–livestock systems with agroforestry to improve organic animal farming | 123 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 123 | ||
| 2 Types of ICLS | 124 | ||
| 3 Environmental and economic benefits of ICLS | 126 | ||
| 4 Agroforestry as an ICLS | 128 | ||
| 5 Animals in agroforestry systems | 131 | ||
| 6 Trees as a source of nutrition and medicine | 135 | ||
| 7 Challenges in integrated livestock and forestry systems | 140 | ||
| 8 Conclusion | 143 | ||
| 9 Where to look for further information | 143 | ||
| 10 References | 143 | ||
| Chapter 8 Smallholder integrated organic farming: how can it work in the tropics? | 157 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 157 | ||
| 2 Overview of tropical animal production and organic and smallholder farming | 158 | ||
| 3 Organic standards for animal husbandry in the tropics | 162 | ||
| 4 Challenges faced by tropical organic animal farmers | 164 | ||
| 5 Conclusion and future trends | 169 | ||
| 6 Where to look for further information | 170 | ||
| 7 References | 170 | ||
| Chapter 9 Pastoralism and organic animal farming: are they complementary? | 175 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 175 | ||
| 2 Pastoral management strategies | 178 | ||
| 3 Comparing pastoralism with commercial ranching | 182 | ||
| 4 Breeds and breeding strategies | 183 | ||
| 5 Opportunities for animal health promotion | 184 | ||
| 6 Does pastoralism provide good animal welfare? | 187 | ||
| 7 Opportunities for integrated systems | 188 | ||
| 8 Impacts on biodiversity | 191 | ||
| 9 Conclusion | 193 | ||
| 10 Where to look for further information | 195 | ||
| 11 References | 195 | ||
| Part 2 Farming of particular species | 203 | ||
| Chapter 10 Organic dairy farming: key characteristics, opportunities, advantages and challenges | 205 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 205 | ||
| 2 Production, breeds and breeding goals | 206 | ||
| 3 Issues surrounding organic dairy farming | 207 | ||
| 4 Hot topics in organic dairy farming | 214 | ||
| 5 Future trends and conclusion | 218 | ||
| 6 References | 219 | ||
| Chapter 11 Organic dairy farming: towards sustainability | 225 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 225 | ||
| 2 Local and global feed efficiency and ecological sustainability | 226 | ||
| 3 Towards solutions 1: longevity and integrated dairy and beef production | 228 | ||
| 4 Towards solutions 2: developing roughage-based feeding strategies | 229 | ||
| 5 Towards solutions 3: organic dairy breeding | 230 | ||
| 6 Towards solutions 4: approaching animal health and welfare | 233 | ||
| 7 Research into sustainable organic dairy production | 234 | ||
| 8 Future trends and conclusion | 236 | ||
| 9 Where to look for further information | 237 | ||
| 10 References | 237 | ||
| Chapter 12 Organic beef farming: key characteristics, opportunities, advantages and challenges | 245 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 245 | ||
| 2 The whole farming system | 248 | ||
| 3 Challenges of organic beef farming | 249 | ||
| 4 Advantages of organic beef farming | 252 | ||
| 5 Opportunities in organic beef farming | 254 | ||
| 6 Future trends and conclusion | 261 | ||
| 7 References | 262 | ||
| Chapter 13 Organic sheep and goat farming: opportunities and challenges | 269 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 269 | ||
| 2 Sheep and goats as species | 270 | ||
| 3 Organic sheep and goat farming in Europe | 271 | ||
| 4 Key challenges in organic sheep and goat farming | 275 | ||
| 5 Key challenges: nutrient deficiencies | 276 | ||
| 6 Key challenges: parasitic diseases | 278 | ||
| 7 Key challenges: udder diseases, lameness, claw and leg problems | 279 | ||
| 8 Future trends and conclusion | 281 | ||
| 9 References | 281 | ||
| Chapter 14 Organic pig farming: key characteristics, opportunities, advantages and challenges | 287 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 287 | ||
| 2 Housing systems: challenges and solutions | 289 | ||
| 3 The need for suitable organic feeding | 291 | ||
| 4 Threats to pig health under organic housing conditions: causes and prevention | 292 | ||
| 5 Organic breeding goals | 294 | ||
| 6 Entire males: opportunity or threat? | 295 | ||
| 7 Case study: potential alternatives or additions\nin pig feeding | 295 | ||
| 8 International collaboration and dissemination to promote implementation of scientific results | 299 | ||
| 9 Future trends and conclusion | 300 | ||
| 10 Where to look for further information | 301 | ||
| 11 References | 302 | ||
| Chapter 15 Organic poultry farming: opportunities and challenges | 307 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 307 | ||
| 2 Organic poultry farming | 308 | ||
| 3 Improving organic poultry farming: poultry as part of ecological systems and cycles | 311 | ||
| 4 Improving organic poultry farming: the precautionary principle, naturalness and care | 314 | ||
| 5 Improving organic poultry farming: health and disease | 317 | ||
| 6 Improving organic poultry farming: fairness and good quality of life | 320 | ||
| 7 Future trends and conclusion | 321 | ||
| 8 Acknowledgements | 322 | ||
| 9 Where to look for further information | 322 | ||
| 10 References | 322 | ||
| Chapter 16 The development of organic aquaculture | 329 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 329 | ||
| 2 Negative environmental impacts of aquaculture | 332 | ||
| 3 Organic aquaculture: rules and regulation | 337 | ||
| 4 The concept of trophic levels | 339 | ||
| 5 History of organic aquaculture | 339 | ||
| 6 Species produced and volumes | 341 | ||
| 7 Culture and production systems in organic \naquaculture | 341 | ||
| 8 Future trends and conclusion | 344 | ||
| 9 Where to look for further information | 345 | ||
| 10 References | 346 | ||
| Chapter 17 Organic and natural beekeeping, and caring for insect pollinators | 351 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 351 | ||
| 2 The need for pollinators | 354 | ||
| 3 Encouraging indigenous pollinators | 354 | ||
| 4 Management of bees | 355 | ||
| 5 Management of honey bees | 355 | ||
| 6 Management of bumblebees | 368 | ||
| 7 Conclusion | 369 | ||
| 8 References | 370 | ||
| Part 3 The future | 373 | ||
| Chapter 18 Improving organic animal farming \nfor the future | 375 | ||
| 1 Introduction | 375 | ||
| 2 Diversity as a key to the future development of organic farming | 377 | ||
| 3 Integration and efficient utilisation of natural resources | 379 | ||
| 4 Resilience as the core of health development | 380 | ||
| 5 Breeding and breeds providing diversity and resilience | 380 | ||
| 6 Human interactions and communication | 381 | ||
| 7 Organic principles as an ethical framework for development | 382 | ||
| Index | 385 |