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Integrating dairy farming and crop production
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27 March 2026

This chapter explores the path to net zero dairy agriculture by emphasizing the multifunctionality of Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems (ICLS), accounting for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across farm boundaries, assessing the mitigation potential of farm vegetation, evaluating GHG mitigation technologies, and understanding net zero on appropriate timescales. It highlights the connection between socio-economic drivers, the environment, and climate, advocating for circular economies to enhance resilience, efficiency, and profitability in agricultural practices. Various strategies to offset, capture, or reduce GHG emissions from livestock agricultural systems show varied effectiveness. Historical focus on improving dairy breeds for higher milk production often overlooked environmental impacts. Recent research on feed additives shows promise but faces scalability. Integrated systems such as agroforestry offer significant benefits by reducing inputs and enhancing resilience. Addressing waste management and overproduction is crucial. Balancing economic and environmental sustainability requires a multifaceted approach, integrating innovative technologies, traditional practices, and adaptive management strategies.
- 1 Introduction
- 2 A brief history of dairy livestock agriculture
- 3 The importance of dairy production in human diets
- 4 Drivers of changes in crop-livestock agriculture
- 5 Types of dairy crop-livestock systems
- 6 Benefits of integrated crop-livestock systems
- 7 Greenhouse gas emissions from crop-livestock systems
- 8 Impacts of climate change on integrated dairy crop-livestock systems
- 9 Strategies to achieve net zero and climate resilience
- 10 Conclusion
- 11 Acknowledgement
- 12 Where to look for further information
- 13 References