What is Sustainable livestock?
Sustainable livestock means making livestock systems economically more efficient and striking a balance between meeting the growing demand for animal-origin products and reducing to the minimum the adverse side effects and externalities from the livestock sector. Sustainable livestock production improves human nutrition, malnutrition, and economic status. There are many different types of livestock production systems, depending on the uses of resources, agriculture environment, environmental conditions, and economic contexts, and they vary considerably in sustainability. These livestock systems include grassland-based extensive systems, intensive landless systems, and mixed farming systems. Sustainable livestock provides dairy consumption improves bone health during childhood and adolescence, and reduces the risk of osteoporosis and diabetes.
Benefits of Sustainable livestock
Sustainable livestock contributes to food security, economic, environmental stewardship, and sociocultural needs and is vital for achieving most of the benefits. They particularly play a vital role in improving human nutrition, health, and economic productivity. If we look at Beneficial effects on growth and development, animal-sourced of foods provide nutrients, and other positive energies are also important for human health. Iron, calcium, protein, and zinc are most important for the internal function of the immunity system of human health. Cow milk provides potassium and calcium, which can reduce blood pressure in adults. Today Sustainable livestock is much important calcium in milk is also important for bone health, blood clotting and wound healing, maintaining normal blood pressure, and muscle contractions, including heartbeat.
Importance of Sustainable livestock
The importance of sustainable livestock is strict; not only for those of us lucky enough to be able to get up a wide range of meats at different places, but it can be a success for local farmers and businesses in the developing world if our cattle are not healthy and not eating a healthy diet, how we expect that they provide us good quality meat and milk. Sustainable Livestock is an important asset for vulnerable communities. Globally, around 500 million pastoralists rely on livestock herding for food, income, and as a store of wealth, collateral, or safety net in times of need. Sustainable livestock goes beyond direct food production to include multipurpose uses, such as skins, fiber, fertilizer, and fuel, as well as capital accumulation.
How we make livestock sustainable?
• Feed animals less human food. Around 70% of the grains used by developed countries are fed to animals.
• Raise regionally appropriate animals.
• Keep animals healthy.
• Adopt smart supplements.
• Eat quality, not quantity.
• Tailor practices to local culture.
• Track costs and benefits.
• Health insurance for animals.
Advantages of sustainable farming
• It regulates high-quality food products such as meat, egg, milk, cheese, etc.
• It is one of the few human productive economic activities that are truly sustainable.
• It regulates employment opportunities and serves as a source of income
• It can help a country to generate foreign exchange earnings through the export of livestock products.
• Other local economic sectors benefit directly or indirectly from its activity: food processing industries, handicrafts, tourism, and hospitality.
Disadvantages of sustainable farming
• Continuously farming doesn’t take animal welfare into its profit equation
• Greenhouse gas emissions are significant from factory farms
• Animals on factory farms have their movements restricted
• The mesh floors on factory farms can hurt the feet of the animals
• Chickens and livestock become an unnatural size.
How can farmers be more sustainable?
• Protect and Build your Soil
It is essential to protect and build soil by practicing erosion control, planting cover crops, adding organic matter, and carefully investigating the potential long-term impacts.
• Protect your water
All agriculture field is dependent on abundant, clean water. You need to protect the water you use and work with your community, state, and federal governments and grower organizations to ensure there will be water for future use.
• Protect plants, animals, insects and microbiological life cycle
We live in a very biological ecosystem, and there are hundreds of examples of the ecosystem, which includes small insects and plants if we eliminate predators or release an invasive plant.
• Make time for yourself
You get so busy trying to make a living system good that you forget to take care of yourself. Your health absolutely wanted time for yourself. As production systems such as high tunnels became popular as a way to extend the growing and breeding season, suddenly the time goes down that affect badly your health traditionally used to take vacations, enjoy their hobbies.
