Summary
This perspective examines how animal welfare—often measured narrowly through negative health and nutritional indicators rather than positive behavioural and mental state expressions—functions as a pillar of sustainability in grazing ruminant systems. The authors explore tensions between welfare improvements (which may favour grazing over housed systems for behavioural expression) and economic sustainability, noting that welfare standards must be balanced against production costs and that improved animal performance can reduce emissions intensity, though trade-offs between these sustainability dimensions remain complex.
UK applicability
The paper's discussion of grazing ruminant systems, management practices, and emissions intensity from dairy herds is directly relevant to UK pastoral farming and policy frameworks around sustainable livestock production. UK farms may find the framework useful for evaluating welfare alongside economic viability, though the abstract does not specify whether UK data or conditions were analysed.
Key measures
Animal welfare indicators across nutritional/environmental/health domains and behavioural/mental state domains; methane intensity; production costs; animal performance metrics
Outcomes reported
This perspective examines the relationship between animal welfare indicators—particularly behavioural and mental state domains—and the economic, environmental, and social pillars of sustainability in grazing ruminant systems. The paper discusses potential synergies and trade-offs between welfare improvements and production efficiency, including the impact on emissions intensity.
Topic tags
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