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Resetting priorities for sustainable dairy farming under global changing

Abstract:

Global change increasingly affected agricultural production andglobal community has begun to refocus in a change in livestockproduction, defending the use of sustainable strategies. Considerationswith respect to changing environments should also address the dairy farmsystems and new goals have to be designed. Good farming practicesshould regard their need for on-going adaptation to an ever-changing environment that should offer solutions for buffering against climaticextremes, disease epidemics, changing nutrient availability, seasonalavailability of forage and other stresses that will add to an alreadyheterogeneous environmental condition. Sustainable dairy systems shouldbe adjusted to these new expectations, and be indeed adapted to the newagricultural policies and the increasing demands of the consumers forproducts free of drug residues (safety) and be more ecofriendly produced.The key to success is to maximise farm efficiency finding the rightbalance between the production system and the management techniquesto maximise the output for food production, involving a suitable dairycow biotype, which may trigger new strategies for feeding, breeding andhealth control whilst minimising impact on the environment and ensuringanimal welfare and profitability for their business. This chapter bookpretends to present a holistic capture of main issues regardingmanagement, feeding regimes, breeding, reproductive efficiency withexamples of current sustainable production systems. © 2013 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.