Advances in organic dairy cattle farming

Description

The dairy sector continues to face increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact and contribution to climate change. It must also address consumer concerns surrounding issues such as animal welfare, antibiotic usage/resistance and the ethics of intensive production systems.

Advances in organic dairy cattle farming considers how organic dairy farming has the potential to address these challenges whilst also meeting the key organic principles of health, ecology, fairness and care. The book reviews advances in areas such as breeding, optimising pasture-based production and organic milk quality, improving the health and welfare of calves and adult cows, as well as promoting biodiversity and the move to a more circular, sustainable bioeconomy.

Table of contents

• 1. Organic dairy farming in Europe: building on the past to develop the future: Mette Vaarst, Aarhus University, Denmark; Lindsay K. Whistance, The Organic Research Centre, UK; and Steve Roderick, Duchy College, UK;

Part 1 Improving breeding and nutrition

• 2. Organic dairy cattle breeding: possibilities and challenges: Morten Kargo, Julie Brastrup Clasen and Margot Slagboom, Aarhus University, Denmark;
• 3. Optimising soils, pasture and grasslands for organic dairy farming: Stephen Roderick, Duchy College, UK and Hannah Jones, Farm Carbon Toolkit, UK;
• 4. Assessing milk quality from organic production: Gillian Butler and Hannah Davis, Newcastle University, UK;

Part 2 Improving health, welfare and life opportunities

• 5. The value of One Health and One Welfare approaches in promoting the health and welfare of organic dairy cattle: Lindsay Whistance, The Organic Research Centre, UK;
• 6. The lives of calves from organic dairy farms: Kerstin Barth, J. H. von Thünen Institute - Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, Germany; Julie Føske Johnsen, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Norway; Marie Haskell, SRUC, UK; Silvia Ivemeyer, J. H. von Thünen Institute - Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, Germany; and Mette Vaarst, Aarhus University, Denmark;
• 7. Improving herd health management and disease prevention in organic dairy cattle farming: Dr Lisa Morgans, Royal Agricultural University/(formerly Innovation for Agriculture), UK; Catarina Svensson, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden; Julie Duval, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), France; and Silvia Ivemeyer, Thünen Insititute - Institute of Organic Farming, Germany;
• 8. The use of plant bio-active compounds and other alternative therapeutic strategies in organic dairy farming: Maria Groot, Wageningen University & Research. The Netherlands; Ariane Maeschli and Michael Walkenhorst, Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Switzerland;
• 9. Improving the management of parasites in organic dairy farming: Stig M. Thamsborg, Andrew Williams, and Helena Mejer, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Nadine Ravinet, INRAE, France; Miguel Peña-Espinoza, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria; and Philip J. Skuce, Moredun Research Institute, UKk;
• 10. An ethical framework for the use of technology in organic dairy farming: David Christian Rose, Harper Adams University, UK; Juliette Schillings, University College Dublin, Ireland; and Eden Keily-Thurstain, formerly University of Cambridge, UK;

Part 3 Improving sustainability

• 11. Integration of organic dairy cows into a whole farm context: Stephen Roderick, Duchy College, UK and Lindsay Whistance, The Organic Research Centre, UK;
• 12. How can organic dairy farming address and improve biodiversity and healthy ecosystems?: Will Simonson, The Organic Research Centre, UK;
• 13. Market structures of organic dairy farming and consumer attitudes towards organic milk processing: Otto Schmid, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Switzerland; Hanna Stolz, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Switzerland; Karlotta Koch, University of Hohenheim, Germany; and Claudia Meier, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Switzerland;
• 14. Organic dairy farming as part of sustainable ecological and social food systems: Mette Vaarst, Aarhus University, Denmark; Adrian Muller, Christian Schader, Florian Leiber and Bernadette Oehen, FiBL, Switzerland; Lindsay K. Whistance, The Organic Research Centre, UK; and Stephen Roderick, Duchy College Rural Business School, UK;