SUSTAINABILITY IN CATTLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Cattle production has the potential of being an important component of sustainable agriculture globally. The ability to transform feed not s uitable for humans into high-quality food will be of great importance in the long-term for feeding a growing population. Other aspects such as preservation of landscape values and maintenance of rural communiti es are highly appreciated values, especially in the industrialized par t of the world. To exploit the sustainable potential of cattle product ion systems, problems of pollution (such as ozone destruction, acid ra in, and nitrate leaching) and of health and welfare, which are associa ted with cattle production, are critically reviewed. The possibilities of integrating cattle production with other types of production are e valuated. Cattle can be used for single purposes such as dairy, beef, and draught, but dairy cows can also be used for restricted suckling c ombining dairy and beef production. In addition a mixture of species m akes grazing more efficient, and a combination of cattle and mixed cro pping can increase resource efficiency. The possibilities of using org anic cattle production systems as prototypes of sustainable cattle pro duction systems are explored. The effects of production constraints wh ich are applied in organic farming systems are studied. The redirectio n of values and activities in agriculture is a challenge to cattle pro duction research and to traditional research methodologies.