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
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
