An analytical framework for structuring analysis and design of sustainable ruminant livestock systems. (1st October 2015) - Duru, Michel
Abstract: Land use of livestock systems at different spatial and temporal scales is a particular concern among environmental and food-security issues. We present an analytical framework that conceptualizes livestock systems as social (economic and social organizations/institutions) and ecological (grasslands, crops, and animals) systems. The framework highlights relations between social dynamics, land use, environmental impacts, and ecosystem services. This framework distinguishes two archetypes of ecological modernization in livestock systems: efficiency based and biodiversity based. Each includes specific land use and economic reasoning. The first optimizes input use and genetics without a change in land cover. The second increases and manages plant and animal diversity at the farm or landscape level to enhance the provision of ecosystem services. These archetypes are broken down into six scenarios of sustainable livestock systems. We illustrate several scenarios by analyzing two types of dairy farms in Brittany (northwestern France) and a project of organic farmers aiming to develop interactions between specialized farms in southwestern France. Examples show the potential of the biodiversity-based pathway to enhance ecosystem services and reduce input use at local or collective levels. Our analytical framework can be used as an intermediary object to support stakeholders in structured design and assessment processes to identify main issues of current livestock systems and the characteristics of possible sustainable pathways.