2023/12/13 by Agabriel, Jacques, Disenhaus, Catherine, Renand, Gilles +3
#0
paper · doi:10.17180/wgss-5n33
This text offers the view of the INRA bovine Commit tee on the inventory of impacts of cattle systems o n environment. It is argued on the basis of an exploratory expertise implemented by the committee, where the use of scarce resources wastes and management o f biodiversity and landscape by cattle systems were discussed. Cattle systems are very diverse and are characterized by a wide range in intensification from very high yielding dairy systems to extensive grazing beef ones. However, the intra-system variability is often much greater than the between systems variability. [br/] Our analysis emphasizes the quantification of pollutants carried out by the research teams, the needs for renewable energy or water and recalls the potential to modulate GHG emissions. To improve many environmental criteria, it highlights the importance of an adapted grassland management, and the maximization of the time spent by animals on pasture. Finally, this expertise also recalls that through the impacts of grazing herbivores the meadow can remain a great reservoir of biodiversity of flora and fauna.