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Global Livestock Production (view source)
Revision as of 09:28, 13 October 2015
, 09:28, 13 October 2015Created page with " == Global Livestock Production == == Classification of Production Schemes == Livestock production systems are classified into three broad categories: grazing, industrial..."
== Global Livestock Production ==
== Classification of Production Schemes ==
Livestock production systems are classified into three broad categories: grazing, industrial and mixed systems. These categories were defined by the work of Carlos Sere and Henning Steinfeld of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. While intended to divide livestock production systems into distinct categories based on the amount of feed produced on the farm compared to feed purchased, the percentage of production value that comes directly from livestock, as well as the density of livestock units per hectare, the line between these categories is frequently blurred by increasing demands on production levels.
== Grazing Systems ==
Grazing systems are defined as production systems in which "more than 90% of dry matter fed to animals comes from rangelands, pastures, annual forages and purchased feeds and less than 10% of the total value of production comes from non-livestock farming activities. Annual stocking rates are less than 10 livestock units per hectare of agricultural land."
Grazing systems represent a relatively small proportion of global livestock production (<10%), predominantly cattle, sheep and goats. Poultry and swine production have negligible grazing production numbers.
== Industrial Systems ==
Industrial systems are defined as production systems in which "<10% of the dry matter fed to livestock is produced on the farm and have stocking rates greater than 10 livestock units per hectare of agricultural land." They require heavily on inputs of feed and energy and can be run in areas where the environment is not conducive for production as they are frequently in enclosed spaces.
The vast majority of poultry production (>60%), both broilers and layers, as well as swine production (>50%) occurs in enclosed industrial production systems. Large-scale dairy production and feedlot production of sheep and cattle are also examples of industrial production systems and contribute approximately 10% of global production.
== Mixed Systems ==
Mixed systems are defined as production systems in which "more than 10% of the dry matter fed to livestock comes from crop by-products and/or stubble or more than 10% of the value of production comes from non-livestock farming activities." Crops are produced both as feed for livestock as well as for sale.
Mixed production systems produce the largest share of total meat, the majority of cattle and sheep and a minority of poultry and swine production. The vast majority of dairy production also occurs on mixed farming systems. Environmentally, mixed systems have the potential to be the most benign to the environment as nutrients are recycled between crops and livestock by returning animal waste products for crop production.
== Global Livestock Distribution ==
Major cattle producers worldwide include the United States, Brazil, China, Argentina, India, in addition to many countries in the UK and EU. The major swine and poultry producer in the world is China, with the United States, Canada and certain EU and UK countries as well. Sheep production is concentrated to the UK and New Zealand.
A map of general livestock density produced by the International Livestock Research Institute is shown below:
[https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5200/14117073507_38014049db.jpg]