Introduction
Animal production contributes substantially to the European economy (€130 billion annually), supports food security, the development of rural areas and ecosystem services. As part of a bio-based economy in Europe, the animal production sector has major opportunities to contribute to a more sustainable, climate smart and competitive Europe and to ensure responsible European animal production in a changing global world. For the optimal use of produced biomass, animal production is essential.
Research and innovation has contributed greatly to making Europe’s livestock sector as competitive, balanced and efficient as it is today. Continued support is needed for research and innovation in the livestock sector if the new challenges are to be met. These challenges include the supply of safe and healthy high quality food, reducing environmental impact, making better use of resources, respecting animal integrity, meeting needs of consumers and contributing to a viable economy in ways that are appreciated by society.
Animal Task Force (ATF)
The ATF was established in 2011 as a European Public–Private Platform of research, farmers and industry organisations working together in fostering knowledge development and innovations to secure the development of a sustainable and competitive animal production sector in Europe. The scope of work covers the whole animal production chain.
The ATF presented, in April 2013, a White Paper with key areas and priority topics for European research support to the livestock sector. We are now preparing an Addendum to that ATF White Paper with recommended priorities that merit support in Horizon 2020 (call 2016/2017). This update has been developed by the ATF members and is inspired by the Strategic Research Agendas of several ETPs and other sector organisations; as well as that of the FACCE-JPI; Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL); Global Research Alliance (GRA) on agricultural greenhouse gases (GHG); FAO and SCAR working group on Sustainable Animal Production.
In the ATF White Paper, adaptation to climate change is an integrated theme in the 12 identified key priority topics, but specifically addressed in one of the topics ‘climate smart animal production’.
In the addendum priorities, climate change adaptation has been included in ‘robust and resilient animal production’; but also relates to ‘vector-borne diseases’, ‘integrated farming performance’, ‘more value out of marginal grasslands’, ‘improving biomass and nutrient utilisation’ and ‘fortify animal disease prevention and control’.
ATFs view on climate smart livestock production
Climate change results in more extreme climatic conditions with longer periods of extreme weather such as high or low temperatures, storms, rainfall or droughts. On the one hand, there is a strong requirement to mitigate GHG emissions (viz. methane) form livestock. Mitigation can be linked to the production of feed, enteric methane production, manure production, energy consumption and carbon sequestration in pastures. At the same time, climate change has its effects on animal production systems. Although the effects in Europe will be not as strong as in, for example, Africa and Asia, climate change will also have an indirect effect on the availability of feed, and the risk of new diseases.
The climate change issue requires an integrated approach, where food security and increased productivity, adaptation to climate change and mitigation of emissions goes hand in hand. This concept is known as climate smart agriculture. Research on integrating adaptation and mitigation in livestock recently started (AnimalChange in FP7), but the concept of climate smart agriculture needs further elaboration in the European context.
It is known that improved resource use efficiency reduces emissions of livestock products, but the effects on resilience are not yet well-known. Moreover, resilience in livestock systems is complex, it requires resilience in plant production, animals and feed production chains. The room for solutions can partly be found in techniques (feeding and breeding) but also in the production chain, at sub- and super-national level with inter-sectoral and multi-actor arrangements. Multidisciplinary research in close cooperation with stakeholders is needed to develop solutions that contribute to maintaining high productive agriculture, with increased resilience and an efficient resource use with low GHG emissions.
Innovations towards a climate smart livestock production
The development of climate smart, low emitting, productive, resilient and robust animal production systems can be achieved by focusing research and innovation efforts on the following:
Integration of current climate variation simulation models and agro-economic models simulate consequences of climate change and extreme weather events on European livestock sector at regional scale. These models should help the sector to cope with variation of forage and crop production and land use changes (proportion of grassland, annual forages and crops).
Development of animal production systems and chains that are more resilient to large variations in extreme weather conditions, feed supplies and emerging diseases. Apply this solution at different scales (farm, regional, European Union). Integrate strategies of adaptation and mitigation by technical adaptation of crop and forage production, herd and manure management; breeding programmes, feeding regimes, housing systems and veterinary care.
Enhancing animals’ ability to overcome emerging diseases, nutritional or environmental challenges will help them to stay healthy and well adapted to their living conditions, that is, increase their robustness. This also implies well-adapted husbandry.
Linking up to ensure climate smart livestock production
The LiveM theme of the FACCE-JPI knowledge hub MACSUR is focussing on the modelling required to tackle the societal challenge of food security through sustainable livestock production under climate change. In the Bilbao meeting we will explore how modelling can be integrated in the overall research and innovation agenda related to this issue.
ATF has signed the Consensus Letter to the multi-stakeholder platform behind the ‘GASL’, and it will be discussed how research can provide its input to, or can be inspired by, the Agenda.
Finally, ATF is a partner of the Livestock Research Group of the GRA on agricultural GHGs. The link with this alliance and its networks in the field of manure management, grassland management, feed management, rumen management, breed management and health management will be discussed.
Acknowledgement
This keynote talk was presented on behalf of the Animal Task Force, a European Public-Private Platform representing key stakeholders from industry, farmers and research from across Europe. For more information on the Animal Task Force, please go to http://www.animaltaskforce.eu.
Further information
The LiveM International Livestock Modelling and Research Colloquium was hosted by the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) at the Maritime Museum in Bilbao, Spain between the 14 and 16 October 2014. LiveM is the livestock and grassland modelling theme of the EU knowledge hub Modelling European Agriculture with Climate Change for Food Security (MACSUR). The MACSUR project is a pilot knowledge hub started by FACCE-JPI in 2012. It provides an opportunity to explore the role and potential of multidisciplinary networking structures to address complex regional and global issues. More information on MACSUR and the LiveM theme can be found at www.macsur.eu, with PDFs of slides from conference presentations available through the conference website http://www.livem2014bilbao.com/.
