Organic livestock production systems and appropriate development in relation to public expectations

Abstract

There has been considerable growth in the number of organic farms, including livestock, in the EU over the last few years. Livestock production, and especially ruminant livestock production, forms an integral part of many organic farms due to its role in nutrient recycling on farms. In 14 out of 16 European countries, livestock products were within the top five organic products. The recent development of organic farming represents the penetration of important aspects of recent major changes in society at large into agriculture. The development can be attributed to increased consumer interest in organic products while, at the same time, farmers are interested in converting to organic production methods, often stimulated by government support or subsidies. It is important that the organic production systems can fulfil the expectation of each of these stakeholders if organic livestock production is to increase further. This is discussed in detail. It is argued that organic livestock production in future will be carried out by farmers who are committed to organic ideals and, therefore, it is important that new livestock systems are developed which comply to a higher degree with these ideals. The consumer’s interest in organic farming seems mainly to be related to care of their own health and the environmental impact of agriculture, but also to considerations of animal welfare. Large regional differences also exist as regards consumers’ priorities. In European countries and the EU support for organic farming is justified as an element in stimulating/regulating the agricultural sector to be more supportive of rural development, diversifying production, and reducing the environmental load of agriculture. The different priorities in different regions in Europe reflect the different concerns as regards agricultural development in the individual regions. In central and Eastern European countries there is also growing interest in organic production methods, mainly because these systems are expected to offer a more profitable and sustainable production system based on low input. So it appears that organic livestock production systems have to reflect different expectations. Livestock rearing should contribute to more balanced overall farm production, food safety (in a broad sense) should be enhanced, and animal welfare should be improved compared to conventional production methods. Also, the systems should support rural development, nature conservation, and the environmental load should be low. The success of the expansion of organic systems will depend on how far these different expectations can be fulfilled without resulting in the premium prices of the products being too high. Research, development, and advisory service have major roles in supporting the development of such a livestock system, which addresses major current societal concerns. There probably is a need for better interaction between mainstream agricultural research and research groups specializing in areas of importance for organic farming.