Mixed Crop-Livestock Beef Production: A Sustainable Beef Production System? Farm-Scale Results, Questions and Perspectives
This study analyzes structural, technical, economic, and environmental differences between specialized beef farms and mixed crop-livestock farms in a network of 66 Charolais suckler-cattle farms in France. It finds that conventional mixed systems were less efficient overall, whereas organic mixed systems leveraged feed diversity and better met agroecological principles.
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Detail beschrijving
In this paper, we examine 66 Charolais suckler-cattle farms in central France to evaluate whether mixed crop-livestock farming offers sustainable beef production at the farm scale. We classify farms into specialized beef, conventional mixed crop-livestock, and organic mixed crop-livestock systems. We compare their structure, input use, herd feed strategies, economic performance, and environmental impacts based on a comprehensive dataset including technical and financial indicators. Results show that conventional mixed farms used inputs less efficiently and did not realize economies of scope, resulting in lower economic and environmental efficiency. Conversely, organic mixed farms exploited diverse feed resources more effectively, positioning them as a prototype for agroecological beef production.
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Details bijdrage
- Project
- Locatie
- France
- Auteurs
- Patrick VEYSSET, Michel LHERM, Didier BÉBIN et Marielle ROULENC
- Doel
- Adopt innovative practices
- Soort bestand
- document
- Gepubliceerd op
- 01 jun 2013
- Taal van herkomst
- French
- Officiële project website
- Innovations agronomiques
- Licensie
- CC BY