SUSTAINABLE ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

To understand the relationships between the animal production systems and the environment.

1. Animal production systems and products of animal origin: comments on statistical data; past and future projection. Animal production systems classification according to FAO. Natural resources use in animal production systems.

2. Animal production as a source of land protection or degradation. Multifunctional role of pasture. The role of grazing management in pastoral systems. Outlines on dry matter intake estimation by grazing animals.

3. Animal production and environment pollution. Technical and feeding strategies to mitigate nitrogen and phoshporus pollution from monogastric and ruminants. Gas emissions and air pollution. Elements of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA); outlines on carbon and water footprint.

4. Example of GIS applied to livestock field.

5. Sustainability: indicators and indexes in the different animal production systems.

6. Organic farming systems. Differences between conventional and organic systems according to the EU rules. Product quality in conventional and organic systems.

Notes prepared by the professor and papers published in national journals or books.

All the suggested sources, including also the slides commented in the class, are available on Studium.