Reconsidering Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems in North America

Abstract

Although integrated crop-livestock systems have been employed globally for millennia, in the past century, farmers in North America have tended toward increased specialization. There is renewed interest in reintegrating crops and livestock because of concerns about natural resource degradation, the profitability and stability of farm income, long-term sustainability, and increasing regulation of concentrated animal feeding operations. Integrated crop-livestock systems could foster diverse cropping systems, including the use of perennial and legume forages, which could be grown in selected areas of the landscape to achieve multiple environmental benefits. Integrated systems inherently would utilize animal manure, which enhances soil tilth, fertility, and C sequestration. Integration of crops and livestock could occur within a farm or among farms. Both scales of integration rely on farmers' knowledge, motivation, and resources. Despite the numerous benefits that could accrue if farms moved toward on-farm or amongfarm integration of crops and livestock, the complexity of such systems could constrain adoption. However, farmers should expect that adoption of integrated crop-livestock systems would enhance both profitability and environmental sustainability of their farms and communities. The combination of system complexity and potential for public benefit justify the establishment of a new national or international research initiative to overcome constraints and move North American agriculture toward greater profitability and sustainability.

Direct and indirect impacts of crop–livestock organization on mixed crop–livestock systems sustainability: a model-based study

“…Regarding no-renewable energy consumption, our results in favor of integration are consistent with those of Benoit and Laignel (2010) that reported a better energy efficiency for optimized integrated mixed crop-sheep systems (0.93) than for specialized systems (0.42). Regarding GHG emissions and N balance, the positive effect of integration is in line with numerous scientific results (Russelle et al, 2007;Wilkins, 2008). However, this scientific literature generally concerns evaluation at the biophysical scale -as the coupling of N and C cycles -while our evaluation concerns the farming system scale.…”

“…In the past half-century, global intensification and specialization of agriculture is observed, mainly in developed regions as Europe (Peyraud et al, 2014), United Kingdom (Wilkins, 2008), or North America (Russelle et al, 2007). However, this specialization of territories and farming systems is widely criticized.…”

“…the soil fertility, the farm plot, etc.) without considering the impacts at farm scale (Russelle et al, 2007;Wilkins, 2008). Second, at farm scale, results are affected by the complex interactions between subsystems and are highly dependent on the context of production (Bell and Moore, 2012;Bell et al, 2014).…”

Mixed crop–livestock farming systems: a sustainable way to produce beef? Commercial farms results, questions and perspectives

“…This consensus essentially revolves around the potential gains of MC-L systems over specialized systems. Integrating crops and livestock could limit natural resource degradation (reducing mineral leaching through adapted crop rotations), increase the profitability and stability of farm income (less inputs use and product diversification), and increase environmental sustainability (animal manure recycling, soil fertility and carbon sequestration) (Russelle et al, 2007;Hendrickson et al, 2008b). These potential gains are evaluated on the basis of core concepts in agronomy and economics (Vermersch, 2004;Hendrickson et al, 2008a).…”

Modelling as a tool to redesign livestock farming systems: a literature review

“…A high degree of management skill is therefore required (Russelle et al, 2007): a livestock farming system relies on specific and complex consistencies in the management of animal and vegetal resources so as to serve farmers' goals. Redesigning a livestock farming system requires redefining these consistencies and may have strong implications at the farm scale and in the long term.…”