Case Studies

Case Studies

Case study 1

100% grass-fed cows

Livestock Sector: Dairy cattle

Country: Switzerland

Pilot case description: Is concentrate-free dairy production economically feasible? Who makes the best use of their grassland-based resources? Have the farms visions and strategies to face future challenges (e.g. water shortage)?

Innovations being applied: Minimization of feed-food competition (feed-no-food)

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: Demeter, BioSuisse, Swiss retailers, Feed mills

Facilitator partner: FiBL

Foto: Marie Dittman

Case study 2

Individual animals CH4 recording

Livestock Sector: Dairy cattle

Country: The Netherlands

Pilot case description: A large population (100 farms with ~ 150 cows each) distributed across the Netherlands is phenotyped for individual methane emission. Network of farmers on 100 farms interested in mitigation options on farm.

Innovations being applied: Large scale and long-term (2+ years per farm) automated recording of individual methane emission via methane sensors (sniffers)

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: CRV, Friesland Campina

Facilitator partner: Wageningen Livestock Research

Case study 3

Animal welfare and mitigation

Livestock Sector: Dairy cattle

Country: Italy

Pilot case description: Granducato is a cooperative of dairy cattle farms located in northern Tuscany. The farms apply a disciplinary for the mitigation of GHG emission, the respect of animal welfare and the improvement of nutritional quality of milk. The environmental impact of the supply chain is certified according to the EPD (Environmental product declaration) system.

Innovations being applied:
Precision feeding practices based on NIR portable instrument (POLISPEC) and optimization of ration formulation by using prediction models based on CNCPS system;
“On-site” evaluation of methane emissions based on laser methane detector (LMm-G);
Utilisation of the Classyfarm checklist for the assessment of animal welfare on the basis of 3 macro-areas: management, farm structures and animal based measures;
Demonstration activities about the use of feed additives for methane mitigation.

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: Centrale del latte Italia; Newlat company; National breeder association (AIA); Italian Ministry of Agriculture; Tuscany Regional Government; Ferrero Mangimi SpA company (Feed industry).

Facilitator partner: University of Pisa

Case study 4

Use of agro-industrial by-products

Livestock Sector: Dairy and beef cattle

Country: Spain

Pilot case description: Farms that are routinely using by- products from the agro-industry to feed animals at different stages of production

Innovations being applied: Continuous nutritional evaluation of by-products, establishing calendars according to seasonality, preservation methods

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: Provacuno, Asoprovac, COVAP, Ministry of Agriculture

Facilitator partner: CSIC

Case study 5

Compost Bedded Pack (CBP)

Livestock Sector: Dairy and beef cattle

Country: Spain

Pilot case description: Several farms are using CBP techniques in Spain in order to improve animal welfare and health.

Innovations being applied: Compost bedded pack (CBP) is a manure management system in which animals are housed on free-stall systems with straw (or other bedding material) that is mixed with manure and composted. It provides some advantages in terms of animal welfare and health but seems to enhance GHG emissions (mainly N2O). It also provides (according to farmers) a ‘cooling effect’ if compared to deep bedding, which might provide some interest in terms of adaptation.

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: PROVACUNO, DANONE, COVAP

Facilitator partner: UPV

Case study 6

100% pasture-fed ruminant livestock

Livestock Sector: Sheep and cattle

Country: United Kingdom

Pilot case description: A membership organisation of 800+ farmers in the UK that champions the unique regenerative role of ruminant animals and the grazed habitats they have evolved alongside.

Innovations being applied: Mob grazing, mobile abbatoirs, herbal leys in arable systems, community supported agriculture

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: Nature Friendly Farming Network, BASE-UK, WWF, Defra, Natural England, Scottish Government, Welsh Gov, DAERA, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board

Facilitator partner: Univ. of Reading

Case study 7

Dual-purpose cattle/Beef cattle in Low Input Systems

Livestock Sector: Beef calves /dairy cattle

Country: Spain/Switzerland

Pilot case description: Dairy productions seems to be more affected by heat stress than beef production. Is this the case in low input systems?

Innovations being applied: Selection as a tool to balance beef-dairy production/heat tolerance via simulation.

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: Avileña Negra Ibérica Breed Association, Swissherdbook

Facilitator partner: CSIC-INIA/FiBL

Case study 8

Dual-purpose cattle

Sector: Dairy cattle

Country: Switzerland

Pilot case description: One of the main questions is which systems can produce both dairy and meat, while achieving advantages in terms of resource and emission efficiency in thermo-tolerant farms?

Innovations being applied: Coupled production of meat and dairy out of one breed, label marketing, enhanced longevity of cows

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: Swissherdbook, Demeter, BioSuisse, Swiss retailers

Facilitator partner: FiBL

Case study 9

Crossbreeding in dairy cattle herds

Livestock Sector: Dairy cattle

Country: Sweden

Pilot case description: A group of dairy farmers practicing cross-breeding Holstein with locally adapted breeds to improve reproduction and health in dairy cows, and using sex- sorted and beef-semen to increase production of meat and hence reduce impact per unit of produce.

Innovations being applied: Crossbreeding which is unusual in Sweden but with identified large potential (Brastrup-Clasen 2021)

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: Växa, SimHerd, and potentially Aarhus University and SEGES

Facilitator partner: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Case study 10

Slurry management in pig farms to reduce

Livestock Sector: Pig

Country: Spain

Pilot case description: Pig farmers in Spain are requested to reduce emissions along the slurry management chain and some of them are already promoting slurry management changes. Most of them are reporting management techniques throughout Ecogan, a tool that calculate emissions based on management practices.

Innovations being applied: Solid/liquid separation, tank and lagoon covering, use of additives, etc.

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: Unió de Llauradors

Facilitator partner: UPV

Case study 11

Implementation of trees in pastoral systems

Livestock Sector: Pigs and dairy cattle

Country: Denmark

Pilot case description: A group of organic livestock farmers interested in integration of trees with livestock. Animal welfare, biodiversity and carbon sequestration are key drivers of adoption. The network was established by Organic Denmark.

Innovations being applied: Agroforestry is still in its very early stage in Denmark. A main activity is therefore to discuss choice of trees and spatial design according to climate, soil type, topography etc.

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: Centre For Free-range livestock, Friland A/S, Thise Dairy, The Danish Agricultural Agency, The Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Facilitator partner: Aarhus University

Case study 12

Substituting soy with local legumes

Livestock Sector: Pigs

Country: Poland

Pilot case description: Non-associated pig breeders using local sources of protein in the nutrition of primitive and commercial breeds of pigs. Selected breeders are also producers of both feed raw materials and compound feed. Some of them also process and sell pork and finished products with special quality labels

Innovations being applied: Use of local legumes, organic production, welfare +, native breeds

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: POLSUS, Polish Government, PAS, Agricultural Advisory Centers, National Rural Network

Facilitator partner: Poznan University of Life Sciences

Case study 13

PLF & heat stress management

Livestock Sector: Pigs

Country: Spain

Pilot case description: A network of intensive white pig farms, with a high level of technification and different characteristics (genetics, nutrition, management, …) interested in assessing the impact of extreme temperatures on their production and in existing improvement systems.

Innovations being applied: Management software, automatic feeders, environmental sensors

Other national stakeholder organisations involved / interested: ANPROGAPOR (National Association of Pig Producers), INTERPORC, Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition.

Facilitator partner: CSIC