Animals part of organic farming systems?
According to the basic principles of organic agriculture, livestock are kept as a part of the farming system and their nutrition has to be based on home-grown feeds. Therefore, both the sustainability and the productivity of the farming system depend on the internal flow of nutrients as represented by feed and manure, which implicates that health and welfare of organic livestock, cannot be seen isolated from the whole system. The importance of livestock to the success of organic farming is often a source of major discussion which essentially revolves around whether grass/ arable systems are seen as critical for generating nitrogen in the farm system or whether a truly stockless system based on green manures and grain legumes is possible.
In the arable system, livestock, particularly ruminant livestock are certainly necessary for their role in utilizing the grass, and are also important as a source of manure for transferring fertility to crops around the farm. Livestock also fulfill an additional role through their utilization of arable crop residues. In most situations, a system involving grassland and livestock is likely to be the most sustainable system of organic production. In any case, the climate, soil and topography in many parts of India are suitable for grassland and livestock production. In the past, conventional livestock farming has been impressively successful in its ability to improve the performance of farm animals and to decrease production costs. Animal farming systems are now expected to meet a number of objectives: to produce milk, meat, eggs and fiber, but also to minimize environmental damage and to improve animal welfare, biodiversity and environmental goods.
The agricultural cycle is incomplete without the input of domesticated animals that play a predominant part in the cycle under the organic management of livestock. Livestock is often the central point around which the organic farm operates and a major factor contributing to its success. Animal husbandry is important to organic agriculture, since it stabilizes the agro-ecological system and makes this more productive as it
- Contribute - towards closing the nutrient cycles and also towards higher yields.
- Convert - organic matter, and are thus major contributors to soil fertility.
- Utilize - crop residues, unutilized agricultural areas, by-products of agricultural production.
- Diversity - with different species, variety in breeds.
- Growing forage crops improves the crop rotation, the diversification and balance of the farming system.
- Used - for draught purposes.
- Growing forage crops improves the crop rotation, the diversification and balance of the farming system.