Cattle as a key to a sustainable food supply: Significance, challenges and potential of cattle farming in a changing world
Cattle play a central role in providing nutrient-rich, highly digestible, and palatable food. Many regions of the world could never have been settled without cattle, sheep, goats, and buffalo and their potential to convert large quantities of fiber-rich plants (grasses) into milk and meat. Half of Austria's agricultural land is characterized by this and remains, and will continue to be, of unparalleled importance for local, regional, and urban food supply.
Beneficial side effects include: maintaining the management and care of all grassland areas and thus preventing scrub encroachment and afforestation; the beauty of a diverse landscape (forest and meadows) and thus its tourist appeal.
Sustainable development of cattle farming requires a holistic view of the indispensable benefits for us humans and husbandry practices that meet the animals' needs as much as possible. Guidelines based on scientific findings include potential measures for reducing methane emissions.
In this podcast interview with Associate Professor Dr. Wilhelm Knaus, recorded on October 17, 2024, at the Institute of Animal Sciences, BOKU University, you will learn more about the development and perspectives of cattle farming in general and about the potential of dairy cows with a forage-based diet in particular.
If you are interested in these topics or would like to learn more, we cordially invite you to listen to our podcast.
Further information:
Research project no. 100881, BMLFUW-LE.1.3.2/0062-II/1/2013, final report
Research project no. 101210 BMLFUW-LE.1.3.2/0073-PR/8/2017, final report
PDFs for download:
