Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The role of humans in the organic herds is to both support the possibilities for the animals
to perform their species-specific natural behaviour, giving them as many opportunities as
possible to live a 'natural life' (e.g. f lock life, outdoor life, mother-offspring relations), and to
be care-takers who support animal wellbeing by fulfilling their nutritional requirements and
who intervene whenever necessary to avoid a potential crisis.
With regard to organic feeding, many of the challenges regarding home-grown or locally
grown, organic feed can be met by optimal crop rotation systems, high quality feed production
in terms of pasture management and harvest at the right time, choice of the best crops, conser-
vation and storage under optimal conditions. However, some import into the farm seems nec-
essary, such as trace elements and minerals. The reliance by monogastric animals on synthetic
amino acids in conventional farming systems needs to be met in organic systems using more
sustainable, long-term strategies, including breeding and production goals. Differences
between countries and regions with regard to farming systems seem bigger than the general
difference between conventional and organic livestock systems.
References
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