Is there a future for livestock in a sustainable food system? Efficiency, sufficiency, and consistency strategies in the food-resource nexus

Livestock production has been identified as the most relevant factor for the sustainability of future food system and is anticipated to be increasingly influenced by competition for critical resources such as land and water, the rivalry between food and feed, and the imperative to function within a...

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Main Authors: Isabel Jaisli, Gianluca Brunori
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324005337
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author Isabel Jaisli
Gianluca Brunori
author_facet Isabel Jaisli
Gianluca Brunori
author_sort Isabel Jaisli
collection DOAJ
description Livestock production has been identified as the most relevant factor for the sustainability of future food system and is anticipated to be increasingly influenced by competition for critical resources such as land and water, the rivalry between food and feed, and the imperative to function within a carbon-constrained economy. In this context, our review synthesizes insights from 88 peer-reviewed articles, analysing measures aimed at steering future livestock production towards sustainability. Three distinct pathways emerge: the efficiency pathway, encapsulating sustainable intensification; the consistency pathway, encompassing circularity and grassland-based systems; and the sufficiency pathway, embodied by the protein transition. While some aspects along these strategies are aligned with each other, these pathways are also often contradictory and associated with a range of trade-offs. The results underscore the importance of considering regional variations and diverse production systems in selecting optimal strategies for future livestock management. Overall, a nuanced understanding of these pathways is crucial for informed decision-making in shaping a sustainable and resilient future for livestock and the planet.
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spelling doaj-art-2d7c54c88a284d569f5362d25b6a05d42024-12-16T05:38:06ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432024-12-0118101496Is there a future for livestock in a sustainable food system? Efficiency, sufficiency, and consistency strategies in the food-resource nexusIsabel Jaisli0Gianluca Brunori1Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Campus Gruental, 8820, Waedenswil, Switzerland; Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy; Corresponding author. Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Campus Gruental, 8820 Waedenswil, Switzerland.Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, ItalyLivestock production has been identified as the most relevant factor for the sustainability of future food system and is anticipated to be increasingly influenced by competition for critical resources such as land and water, the rivalry between food and feed, and the imperative to function within a carbon-constrained economy. In this context, our review synthesizes insights from 88 peer-reviewed articles, analysing measures aimed at steering future livestock production towards sustainability. Three distinct pathways emerge: the efficiency pathway, encapsulating sustainable intensification; the consistency pathway, encompassing circularity and grassland-based systems; and the sufficiency pathway, embodied by the protein transition. While some aspects along these strategies are aligned with each other, these pathways are also often contradictory and associated with a range of trade-offs. The results underscore the importance of considering regional variations and diverse production systems in selecting optimal strategies for future livestock management. Overall, a nuanced understanding of these pathways is crucial for informed decision-making in shaping a sustainable and resilient future for livestock and the planet.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324005337Livestock productionSustainability strategyLivestock futureFood system transformationEfficiencyConsistency
spellingShingle Isabel Jaisli
Gianluca Brunori
Is there a future for livestock in a sustainable food system? Efficiency, sufficiency, and consistency strategies in the food-resource nexus
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Livestock production
Sustainability strategy
Livestock future
Food system transformation
Efficiency
Consistency
title Is there a future for livestock in a sustainable food system? Efficiency, sufficiency, and consistency strategies in the food-resource nexus
title_full Is there a future for livestock in a sustainable food system? Efficiency, sufficiency, and consistency strategies in the food-resource nexus
title_fullStr Is there a future for livestock in a sustainable food system? Efficiency, sufficiency, and consistency strategies in the food-resource nexus
title_full_unstemmed Is there a future for livestock in a sustainable food system? Efficiency, sufficiency, and consistency strategies in the food-resource nexus
title_short Is there a future for livestock in a sustainable food system? Efficiency, sufficiency, and consistency strategies in the food-resource nexus
title_sort is there a future for livestock in a sustainable food system efficiency sufficiency and consistency strategies in the food resource nexus
topic Livestock production
Sustainability strategy
Livestock future
Food system transformation
Efficiency
Consistency
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324005337
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