Feeding insects instead of grain to animals is an inexpensive, sustainable way to increase the world food supply. An animal scientist explains what’s involved in developing insect feed for cattle.
Integrating trees, grasses and other vegetation with grazing domesticated animals could be a solution to many of the issues associated with raising livestock.
(Luis Moire Aguilar)
The answer lies in silvopastoralism, an agricultural method that attempts to mimic natural forest ecosystems with livestock added into the mix.
A satellite captured large and small deforestation patches in Amazonas State in 2015. The forest loss has escalated since then.
USGS/NASA Landsat data/Orbital Horizon/Gallo Images/Getty Images
A simplistic ‘all livestock are bad’ narrative is promoted by campaigners, celebrities, philanthropists and policymakers alike. A much more sophisticated debate is needed.
A herd of cows returning from a drinking hole in Amboseli, Kenya.
Buena Vista Images/GettyImages
Cow burps and farts are no joke – they’re a big factor in climate change. A new study shows that daily seaweed supplements could tame this major methane source while saving ranchers money.
Dinka cattle.
Photo by Bruno Bierrenbach Feder/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria have been bloody and protracted, with one side portrayed as victims. But as this study shows, both sides are victims.
Stray cows rest on a New Delhi street during a one-day civil curfew to combat coronavirus. Cattle may have been central to a coronavirus outbreak in 1890.
Yawar Nazir/Getty Images
Could the 1889-1890 pandemic have been the result of cow coronaviruses jumping to humans?
Sonoma County, California hired this herd of sheep from Sweetgrass Grazing to reduce invasive plants and flammable fuels and make room for native plants on protected land.
Sonoma Open Space
A new generation of ranchers is exploring sustainable ways to raise cattle, sheep and goats in California. Some are grazing herds on fire-prone lands, reducing wildfire risks and improving soils.
Technological tools could unlock a new system of resource sharing in agriculture which is ethical and productive.
www.shutterstock.com
Since the feudal ages, fences have become a symbol of separation and ownership. Now, sensors and technology allow for a system of pooling resources which is not only sustainable but also productive.
Bison once dominated the Great Plains but were nearly wiped out by hunters in the 1800s. Now scientists are learning that bison’s presence improves plant and wildlife diversity on the prairies.
The unpopular badger cull has had only ‘modest’ success in reducing bovine TB, according to a recent report. What would an alternative approach that was effective and humane look like?