Abstract
Mixed crop-livestock systems provide livelihoods for a billion people and produce half the world’s cereal and around a third of its beef and milk. Market orientation and strong and growing demand for food provide powerful incentives for sustainable intensification of both crop and livestock enterprises in smallholders’ mixed systems in Africa. Better exploitation of the mutually reinforcing nature of crop and livestock systems can contribute to a positive, inclusive growth trajectory that is both ecologically and economically sustainable. In mixed systems, livestock intensification is often neglected relative to crops, yet livestock can make a positive contribution to raising productivity of the entire farming system. Similarly, intensification of crop production can pay dividends for livestock and enhance natural resource management, especially through increased biomass availability. Intensification and improved efficiency of livestock production mean less greenhouse gases per unit of milk and more milk per unit of water. This paper argues that the opportunities and challenges justify greater investment in research for development to identify exactly where and how ‘win-win’ outcomes can be achieved and what incentives, policies, technologies and other features of the enabling environment are needed to enable sustainable, integrated and productive mixed crop-livestock systems.
Highlights
Los sistemas mixtos cultivos-ganadería proveen el sustento de mil millones de personas y producen la mitad de los cereales en el mundo y aproximadamente 1/3 de la carne y la leche
A recent review and update of global farming systems assessments stressed the importance of including how crops and animals are produced and how they interact, if such information is to be used in the context of priority setting and targeting related to livelihoods (Robinson et al 2011)
The extent and importance of these systems for livelihoods, food security and natural resource management, against a backdrop of growing demand for food, need to be balanced against potentially negative impacts on natural resources and the environment. These arise where systems have already reached a limit of natural resource use (Herrero et al 2009), or where the environmental footprint per unit of product is high due to low animal productivity
Summary
Livestock manure can contribute to the nutrient needs of the crops and help to maintain soil organic matter and beneficial physical properties, such as water and nutrient retention capacities. In remote areas with inefficient supply chains for inorganic fertilizers, livestock manure can be the only source of applied nutrients. Liu et al (2010) estimate that 23% of the nitrogen for crop production in mixed systems comes from livestock
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
