Boosting circularity and diversification strategies of terrestrial livestock production systems

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• farmers, rural communities, and agrifood or animal by-product value chain operators benefit from improved practices, technologies and validated tools that promote sustainability through the implementation of diversification and circularity in livestock farming systems, contributing to agricultural biodiversity;
• public authorities, consumers and other actors of the value chain are provided with evidence-based information on the socio-economic-environmental impacts of diversification and circularity strategies in the livestock farming systems to support their choices;
• tailored collective actions are implemented to support the organization of farmers, producers, rural communities and other value chain stakeholders into cooperatives, associations or community networks to enhance collaboration, resources sharing, market access, bargaining power, and sustainable development.

Scope:

Boosting circularity and diversification strategies of livestock production systems by integrating for example diverse animal breeds and species, multiple animal products and by-products, and sustainable land-use approaches like mixed crop-livestock systems and agroforestry can help to reduce environmental ad climate impact, to increase biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, to minimize waste, and to enhance overall farming system resilience to environmental and economic shocks. Such strategies can provide alternative revenue streams (e.g., meat, dairy, wool, eggs, wood, fruit, manure, ecosystem services/carbon credits), improve farmers’ income stability, reduce dependency on external inputs and on single-product markets, and create more sustainable farms and rural economies.

Farmers are increasingly interested in diverse and circular livestock farming strategies, but the efficiency, profitability, trade-offs, interactions, and co-benefits of these strategies vary by region, farm type, and economic conditions. The aim is to assess the real short- and long-term impact and scalability of these strategies in different pedo-climatic regions and in various terrestrial livestock systems, including organic farming. It is important to investigate local agricultural and agro-industrial resources, including residues, by-products and co-products that are not valorised to produce energy or bio-based chemicals for the wider bioeconomy (such as bioenergy, biopolymers/biomaterials), but instead remain within the farming system for circular uses such as animal feed, soil amendments, organic fertilizers, and other innovative uses.

Proposals should address all the following activities:

• develop and validate innovative strategies and tools, including monitoring systems, to optimize diversification and circularity in terrestrial livestock farming systems at multiple levels (e.g., animals, products, by-products, farm, land) and scales (spatial, organizational and temporal). This includes valorising resources, by-products, residues and waste, closing the nutrient loops, and enhancing resilience, sustainability, biodiversity and profitability while considering the specific local context and needs of rural areas, and ensuring that food safety is maintained;
• foster the utilisation of locally available value-added products, co-products and by-products from terrestrial livestock farming systems, taking into account the EU regulatory framework and relevant standards, while assessing synergies, trade-offs, and possible interactions between resource use, efficiency, circularity and sustainability;
• enhance exchange among the participants along the value chain of information, good practices and innovations on circularity and diversification, including logistic, governance and business models that help in sharing local resources, aggregating supply, improving the bargaining power of farmers through cooperative structures and preserving the cultural heritage related to traditional local rural production;
• analyse the social and economic viability of the diversified and circular livestock farming systems, with particular attention to market trends and value chain analysis, including traceability, and their contribution to sustainable rural development;
• provide scientific evidence and policy advice that support the assessment of the current EU regulatory framework relevant to the sector and to existing or novel products derived from animal and agricultural by-products.

Proposals should either address Area A: any terrestrial livestock production system or Area B: production system on the wool value chain (i.e. fiber animal production systems). The area (A or B) should be clearly indicated on the application.

The projects under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to the EU Green Deal’s objectives for resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Vision for Agriculture and Food, the EU climate policy and the EU Action Plan for the Development of Organic production^[1].

Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach and ensure adequate involvement of the main stakeholders involved in animal husbandry in Europe, including farmers, shepherds and relevant organisations notably in the livestock sectors, territorial planners, advisors, private sector/industry (e.g. processors, retailers, distributors), policy-makers, consumers, etc.

Proposals should capitalise on relevant research findings and tools, included those developed under previous research projects, where relevant.

[1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021DC0141…