Sustainable Intensification in Crop-Livestock Systems

Extensive livestock production is the main animal source food system in the Pampas and Campos sub-regions in South America. Beef cattle and sheep convert forage biomass that humans cannot eat into nutrient-dense human-edible foods (meat and milk) and valuable co-products (wool). However, diverse global pressures are acting on Pampas systems including increasing demand for protein sources (food security), climate change, environmental footprint, and competition for land. The integration of small areas of pasture-crop rotations is an alternative for increasing efficiency and sustainable intensification of agroecosystems based on natural grasslands. Rotations led by improved pastures increase the carrying capacity and productivity of traditional Pampas systems, and include crop production (soybean, rice) as an opportunity for farm diversification and resilience. Therefore, mixed crop-livestock systems can feed more people in terms of calories and protein than what is possible with specialized systems. The higher carrying capacity in the area under the rotation may allow less intensive grazing management in larger areas of native grasslands reducing threats to biodiversity. Some of the integrated management practices in crop-livestock systems are perennial pastures to mitigate soil organic carbon losses during cropping, biological nitrogen fixation by legumes, grazing cover crops, crop residue grazing, dual-purpose crops, and harvesting grain and hay for livestock feed. Also, complementary crop and livestock production systems facilitate more efficient nutrient cycling and self-sufficient systems promoting the circular economy concept as a strategic approach toward system sustainability. Key to understanding the potential of mixed crop-livestock systems are productive, environmental, economic, and social factors that determine their performance, as well as trade-offs among them. Development, implementation, maintenance, and analysis of long-term crop-livestock platforms research provides science-based information to address complex biological systems, and to implement innovative public policies at national scale to regulate soil use and to prevent non-sustainable agricultural practices