Mixed Systems: Cut and Carry
Environmental Risks and Opportunities

Risk Overview, cut and carry

This table indicates by problem area the most common environmental risks and opportunities associated with the mixed system where livestock farming relies feed resources cut and carried from communal areas and other farms.

Resource base | Risks and Opportunities | Underlying factors
Land: Origin of feed | (-) Accelerated soil mining of communal areas, forests, plantations and boarders of infrastructures. | Increase of local human and livestock populations, land privatisation, decrease farm size, local rules and regulations limiting free grazing. Distorted processes of crop-livestock integration
Land: On farm | (+) Improved soil fertility and soil structure for crop cultivation. (-) Accelerated decline soil fertility and sheet erosion on further away fields | Small farm size, farmers rely on permanent crop cultivation, income from Draught Animal Power (DAP) services and livestock. Repeated cultivation with insufficient manure supply. Draught Animal Power (DAP) facilitating an expansion of area under cultivation, shorter fallow and longer cultivation periods.
Water | (-) Pollution of drinking water with faeces, urine and dirt (-) Surface and ground water pollution (-) pollution of water with agro-chemicals | Increased competition for water of humans needs, livestock and irrgation. Lack of local rules on storage and disposal of manure Poor management of animal wastes Increase in irrigated agriculture and use of agro-chemicals
Air | (-) Increasing Methane emission (-) Increased Carbon Dioxide emission | Increasing number of ruminants and equines feeding on poor quality fodder leading to possible increased Methane emissions More carbonhydrates decomposed by livestock less by wild and soil life or through burning. Promotion and subsidies on mechanisation, motorization replacing DAP
Vegetation | (-) Change in species composition, decrease in tree & shrub vegetation (-) Bush encroachment | Increase in demand for fodder and litter. Rules and regulations inhibiting free grazing Increasing demand for maintenance of cover vegetation on farms and along communal infrastructures.
Bio-diversity | (-) Loss of Habitat for certain wild life and plant species (+) Change in habitat (-)Loss of genetic diversity in domesticated species | Selective cutting and weeding leading to loss of certain plant species Removal of wildlife habitats, especially those considered to have a negative impact on livestock and cultivation Loss of diversity in ecological and socio-economic settings in which animals are kept.

Crop-Livestock Integration - Policy Pressures and Policy Options

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