Livestock: a perspective from RSPB - Abi Burns
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Transcript of Livestock: a perspective from RSPB - Abi Burns
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Livestock – an RSPB perspective
Dr Abi Burns
Senior Policy Officer
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Livestock production :• contributes to all major drivers of biodiversity loss (Steinfeld et al ,2006)• accounts for estimated 30% of terrestrial biodiversity loss (PBL, 2011)• could, by 2050, occupy the majority of, or significantly overshoot estimates of
humanity’s ‘safe operating space’ in three key environmental domains (Pelletier and Tyedmers, 2010)
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But• Many priority species and habitats depend
on livestock• 20% of the habitats on Annex 1 to the
Habitats Directive are permanent pasture/meadow
• Grazed habitats provide other benefits including carbon sequestration
• Livestock have a key role in closing nutrient cycles
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• Second order impacts• The multifunctional nature of livestock farming• ‘Efficiency’ doesn’t capture all environmental impacts
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Tarnhouse Case Study
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CPLAN v0 CPLAN v2 CALM CFF ECO2
Emissions for beef (kg CO2 eq/kg LW)
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Extensive cattle grazing
• Optimum grazing pressure = lowprovides mixture of prey-rich tall/old grass and accessible short grass
• cf abandonment: too dense for access or predator avoidance; sward deterioration
• cf economically productive management:food chains disrupted (no large invertebrates or seeds)most grasslands avoided by birds
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Biodiversity opportunities
Low grazing pressure• low economic returns• agri-environment support• carbon sequestration benefits?
Intensive grazing (high utilisation efficiency)• crops largely sterile for wildlife – including legume based options?• agri-environment style add-ons essential• potential opportunities to develop new agri-environment measures –
especially around legume-based crops• greater potential in mixed farming – especially whole-crop silage
using cereals (not maize) & brassicas
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Cattle
Sheep
Changing livestock numbers in the UK Less Favoured Areas – an analysis of likely biodiversity implications, Cumulus Consultants
Livestock unit change
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Changing livestock numbers in the UK Less Favoured Areas –an analysis of likely biodiversity implications, Cumulus Consultants
• Less cattle and mixed grazing• Greater use of continental/improved breeds
• Hill:Summer grazing starting laterLess out-wintering and feeding Less hefting and shepherdingLess common grazingLess burning
In-bye:More intensive use of in-bye Shift from hay to silageMore housing of cattle More indoor lambingMore finishing of stock
Grazing regime changes
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• Farmed land
– High proportion of semi-natural vegetation
– Mosaic of low intensity agriculture
– Features such as field margins, hedgerows, walls, woodland margins, wetlands
• In UK, mostly (but not exclusively) associated with low-intensity beef and sheep farming in uplands
What is High Nature Value (HNV) Farming?
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A shared goal – the manifesto
• Farming central to keeping these places special
• Work with communities of interest – a voice for HNV farming
• Targeted support to secure long-term viability of these precious systems
• Innovate – modern ways that work with tradition
• Secure multiple benefits of HNV
• Time to act!
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Our organisations have come together for the first time to join some very
important dots and start a conversation that affects us all.
Join the conversation about the future of our food at:
www.foodresearch.org.uk/square-meal