The diversity of livestock systems and definition of animal welfare (2nd NAHWOA Workshop)

content: Part A: Livestock in organic farming: role and research methodologies Part B: The diversity of organic livestock systems – Austria and Spain Part C: Organic livestock production standards Part D: Organic livestock production and animal welfare The theme of the 2nd NAHWOA Workshop was "Diversity of livestock systems and definition of animal welfare". The diversity of livestock systems within the European Conmmunity area has become particularly clear during the development of the common organic livestock production standards, in the form of EU Regulation 1804/ 1999. The Workshop heard several interesting papers on the subject, including an account of first-hand, field visit experience of the DEHESA farming system and of an olive farm with mixed livestock systems to utilise the by-products. In addition to a lively discussion during a session in the Workshop, the NAHWOA Working Group on organic standard development had a meeting to discuss the issue. These Proceedings include a combined report of all these discussions. This report is also submitted to the European Commission as an official NAHWOA statement on the present state of development of EU Regulation 1804/1999. precise content: Part A: Livestock in organic farming: role and research methodologies W. Lockeretz & E. Boehncke: Agricultural systems research D. Younie:Integration of livestock into organic farming systems M. Vaarst: Methodology in animal health and livestock research in organic livestock production Part B: The diversity of organic livestock systems – Austria and Spain M. Eder, L. Kirne, and W. Zollitsch:Animal husbandry in alpine organic farming – regional diversity and critical obstacles in Austria J. M. Ameztoy: Organic animal husbandry conversion in Navarra, Spain R. García Trujillo: Organic livestock production in Spain R. García Trujillo and C.Mata: The Dehesa: an extensive livestock system in the Iberian Peninsula Part C: Organic livestock production standards O. Schmid:Comparison of European Organic Livestock Standards with national and international standards - problems of common standards development and future areas of interest O. Schmid: Appendix IV: Comparison of Organic Livestock Production Standards between the new EU Regulation Nr. 1804/1999, IFOAM Basic Standards of November 1998 and the new draft guidelines of Codex Alimentarius ALINORM 99/22A R. Keatinge, D. Gray, S. Milan Thamsborg, A. Martini, P. Plate: EU Regulation 1804/1999 - the implications of limiting allopathic treatment S. Padel and R. Keatinge: Discussion report: Discussion of the EU livestock regulation (1804/99) at the 2nd NAHWOA workshop in Cordoba, Spain 9-11/ 01/2000 Part D: Organic livestock production and animal welfare H. Verhoog: Defining positive welfare and animal integrity G. van Putten: An ethological definition of animal welfare with special emphasis on pig behaviour H. Bartussek: How to measure animal welfare? The idea of an "Animal Needs Index" ANI-35L [Tiergerechtheitsindex TGI 35L]: a practical tool for assessing farm animal housing conditions on farm level in respect to animals´ well being and behavioural needs - Austrian experiences Torben Bennedsgaard and Stig Milan Thamsborg: Comparison of welfare assessment in organic dairy herds by the TGI200-protocol and a factor model based on clinical examinations and production parameters Vonne Lund: Is there a such a thing as "organic" animal welfare? S. M. Thamsborg, M. Hovi and T. Baars: Discussion report: What to do about animal welfare in organic farming? A report on the Animal Welfare Discussion at the 2nd NAHWOA Worksho

Animal health and welfare in organic livestock production in Europe– current state and future challenges

Existing data on animal health and welfare in organic livestock production systems in the European Community countries are reviewed in the light of the demands and challenges of the recently implemented EU regulation on organic livestock production. The main conclusions and recommendations of a three-year networking project on organic livestock production are summarised and the future challenges to organic livestock production in terms of welfare and health management are discussed. The authors conclude that, whilst the available data are limited and the implementation of the EC regulation is relatively recent, there is little evidence to suggest that organic livestock management causes major threats to animal health and welfare in comparison with conventional systems. There are, however, some well-identified areas, like parasite control and balanced ration formulation, where efforts are needed to find solutions that meet with organic standard requirements and guarantee high levels of health and welfare. It is suggested that, whilst organic standards offer an implicit framework for animal health and welfare management, there is a need to solve apparent conflicts between the organic farming objectives in regard to environment, public health, farmer income and animal health and welfare. The key challenges for the future of organic livestock production in Europe are related to the feasibility of implementing improved husbandry inputs and the development of evidence-based decision support systems for health and feeding management. (HOVI, M., A. SUNDRUM and S. M. THAMSBORG (2003): Animal health and welfare in organic livestock production in Europe – current state and future challenges. Livestock production science 80, 41-53.

Organic livestock production

The development towards a sustainable agriculture has been a main objective of organic agriculture from the beginning (IFOAM, 1978), and a declared objective of the newly applied EC-Regulation (1804/1999) on organic livestock production which provides a clear framework for livestock production. The leading idea is based on the voluntary self-restriction in the use of specific means of production with the objectives to produce food of high quality in an animal appropriate and environmentally friendly manner within a nearly complete nutrient farm organism (Sundrum, 1998). With regard to an environmentally friendly production, organic livestock farming is characterised by: - System-oriented approach, - Renunciation of mineral nitrogen, pesticides, growth promoters, and GMO’s, - Maximum total stocking density of 2 large animal units per ha, - Restrictions in the amount and quality of bought-in feedstuffs. In the following, consequences of the framework and the production method are discussed in relation to the environmental issue. System-oriented approach Livestock production forms an integral part of agricultural holdings practising organic farming. Different agricultural fields are interrelated into a ‘farm organism’ which is driven by a nearly complete innerfarm nutrient cycle. A strict separation into lines of production is inappropriate to the idea of a nutrient cycle. With regard to nutrient losses, level of reference is the farm as a single unit and not a specific level of process engineering as is commonly used in conventional production. For example, it would be inappropriate to assess the emission of nitrogen in relation to the average milk yield per cow without taking the whole farm that is among others nitrogen losses in relation to fodder growing and distribution of manure into account. Prevention strategy The general renunciation of mineral nitrogen, risk materials (like pesticides) and controversially discussed substances (like GMO’s) is part of a prevention strategy, leading to a comparable low input of substances, into the farm and to a minimized output. Reduction of pollution or energy consumption is reached by a systemic and casually related approach, while conventional strategies are often based on technical and management related measures (Kristensen and Halberg, 1997). To assess nutrient losses on the farm level, the most common methodologies involve using balance sheets of the whole farm. Calculations demonstrate that the systemic effect of organic agriculture in both cattle and pig production has great implication on the nutrient balance and the balance-surplus in relation to the product (Haas, 1995; Halberg et al., 1995; Martinson, 1998; Sundrum & Trangolao, 2000). There is reason for the assumption that the benefit of the system-related approach on minimising pollution are much more effective as compared to management-related factors, such as increasing animal performance per animal per year. For example, reducing nitrogen input of 100 kg N/ha is more than doubly efficient in relation to the balance surplus than increasing average milk yield for 1.000 kg/cow and year (Mejs and Mandersloot, 1993). However, there is a high variability within organic farms in relation to their efforts and their nutrient efficiency. Dual strategy in relation to nitrogen In organic livestock production, feeding is primarily based on home-grown feedstuffs, including a high amount of legumes. As a consequence crude protein content in the diet often clearly exceeds the requirements of the animals and nitrogen in the manure is on a high level. In conventional production farmers are asked to reduce nitrogen in the diet in order to reduce nitrogen in the manure. In organic farming, a high level of crude protein in the diet is a very important nitrogen source for the innerfarm nutrient cycle. When trying to utilize this nitrogen source, organic farmers are encouraged simultaneously to minimize nitrogen emission from the manure. Due to the limited nitrogen resource, organic farmers have to find the balance within a dual strategy: increasing nitrogen in the manure and minimizing nitrogen emission form the manure. As nitrogen input in the organic farm is on a low level, organic farms are endowed with a credit in relation to nitrogen losses in the following production process. In the long run, the objective to increase productivity within the framework of organic agriculture goes along with improving management measures to minimize nitrogen emission. On the other hand, the increase of productivity from a high level as being realised in conventional production leads more or less to a higher efficacy of nitrogen turnover and a reduction in nitrogen losses per cow and milk yield (Kirchgessner et al., 1991). However, there is reason for the assumption that with reference to the conventional farm as a whole, nutrient efficacy will probably decrease due to a reduction in digestibility of feedstuffs and higher demands of bought-in concentrates. Those concentrates increase nutrient input in the farm and cause energy consumption especially due to transport. From these theoretical considerations the question arises whether the efforts to increase productivity will reach or even has already exceeded the marginal utility in relation to environmental effects. It can be concluded that both, a system oriented approach and a approach on the level of process engineering are needed to proceed in environmentally friendly production. Organic livestock production seems to be in the lead because production starts from a comparable low level of nutrient input

The impact of organic livestock standards on animal welfare – a questionnaire survey of advisors, inspectors and veterinarians

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. A questionnaire survey of organic sector body inspectors, organic advisors and farm animal veterinarians was conducted to examine the respondents’ perceptions of the ability of the organic standards to deliver positive impacts on welfare of organic livestock. A total of 44 separate standards concerning livestock production were extracted from the United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Production livestock production standards. The respondents were asked to consider the potential impact of each standard on animal welfare in comparison to the routine practices used on conventional farms, using a five-point scale (improve significantly, improve slightly, no impact, deteriorate slightly and deteriorate significantly). A simple scoring system was used to rank the different standards in terms of their perceived positive impact on animal welfare. The significance of differences between respondent groups and livestock species were examined. Preliminary findings of the survey are summarised and the usefulness of the approach to evaluate livestock production standards is discussed

Concepts and Actors in Organic Livestock Husbandry in Bolivia

Traditional smallholder livestock production is expected to correspond widely with principles of organic livestock farming. Though, the real magnitude of livestock under organic and alike management is unknown. From stakeholder analysis and structured interviews with key persons in Bolivia it is deduced that similarities are widely given, whereas it is questioned whether a formal individual certification approach for livestock products will match the farmer interests and consumer demands

Systems development: quality and safety of organic livestock products

Overview of fourth SAFO Workshop: . Ninety-eight delegates from 19 countries attended the 4th SAFO Workshop. Previous Workshops had focused on the production system but the plenary papers at this meeting focused specifically on food quality and safety of organic livestock products. The Workshop programme contained five formal plenary sessions including poster presentations, working group discussions and a field visits to a range of organic livestock farms. The plenary sessions had a total of 21 presentations (which can be viewed on the SAFO website) and focused on the following aspects of quality and safety of organic livestock products: Plenary 1. Perspectives of different stakeholders Plenary 2. Research on quality aspects of organic livestock products Plenary 3. Impact of veterinary medicinal inputs on product quality and safety Plenary 4. Research on food safety aspects of organic livestock products Plenary 5. Future development of food safety and quality in organic livestock products . . CONTENTS -------- . Foreword (M. Hovi, M.Walkenhorst, S. Padel) . Acknowledgements . In Memoriam Jan Zastawny - The analysis of forage quality and grasslands utilization for livestock production on organic farms (J. Zastawny, H. Jankowska-Huflejt and B. Wrobel) . Part A: Quality concept and organic livestock products - Quality of organic livestock products (M. Walkenhorst) - Consumer expectations of quality of organic livestock products: how can premiums be justified? (J. Bachmann) - Producer expectations of quality of organic livestock products (R. Fuhrer) Posters: - Organic production and nutrimarketing strategy of ‘Hungaricums’ of animal orgin (V. Szente, G. Tarnavolgyi, Sz. Berke, O. Szigeti and Z. Szakaly) Working Group Reports: - Differences in quality and safety expectations between stakeholders re. organic livestock produce and suggestions on how this can be addressed - Report of the working group discussion on the draft IFOAM principles in relation to animals . Part B: Quality and safety of organic livestock products ORGANIC MILK - Studies comparing the composition of milk produced on organic and conventional dairy farms in th UK (K.A. Ellis, W.G. McLean, D.H. Grove-White, P.J.Cripps, C.V. Howard and M. Mihim) - The influence of the grazing season on polyunsaturated fatty acids content in cow milk fat from Bieszcady Reigion of Poland (K. Sloniewsji, T. Sakowski, A. Jozwik and E. Rembailkowska) - Minimal processing of dairying products (B. Rehberger, P. Eberhand and H.P. Bachmann) Posters: - Aflatoxins in milk (organic and biodymanic) marketed in Florence area (A. Martini, G. Lorenzini, J. Labrada Ching, F. Riccio, F. Cervelin, G. Betti, R.Giannelli and S. Pieri) - The comparison of intensive and extensive pasture feeding for dairy cows on a Bohemian farm (B. Cermak, V. Koukolova, F. Lad and B. Slipka) - Selecting dairy cows for organic farming (W.J. Nauta and H. Bovenhuis) ORGANIC PORK - Carcass yield and meat quality of organic pig production (A. Sundrum) - Salmomonella infection risk associated eith ooutdoor organic pork production (A.N. Jensen and D.B. Baggesen) Posters: - East Balken Swine in Bulgaria- an option for organic production (S.G. Ivanova-Peneva and A. Stoykov) ORGANIC POULTRY PRODUCTION - Enhanced biodiversity and the perceived risk to food safety: Campylobacter and poultry (J. O’Brien, L. Woodward and B.D. Pearce) - Organic egg production in Finland- animal health, welfare and food safety issues (A. Virtala, U. Holma, M. Hovi, M. Aniñen, T. Hyyrynen, L. Rossow, H. Kahiluoto and A. Valros) FOOD SAFETY CONTROL - Assessment of current procedures for animal food production chains and critical control points regarding their safety and quality: preliminary results from the Organic HACCP project (G.S. Wyss and K. Brandt) - Assessing the risk from mycotoxins for the organic food chain: results from Organic HACCP project and other research (G.S. Wyss) Working Group Report: - Food quality research of organic animal products: future research needs and implications for standards . Part C: Veterinary medicinal inputs: Impact on product quality and food safety - Fate of veterinary medicines in the environment (A.B.A. Boxall) - Are antibiotic-resistant bacteria present on organic livestock farms? (E. Pleydell) - Is the doubling of withdrawal time a sufficient measure? Evaluations of Oxytetracycline residue persistence in sheep milk (G. Calaresu, G. Leori, C. Testa, G. Marogna and L. Secchi) - Analysis of disease prevalence and medical treatments in organic dairy herds in the Netherlands (A. Kijstra and J. van derWerf) - Is Orbesel the answer to mastitis on organic farms? (C. Notz) Posters: - The use of an internal test sealant, Orbseal, as prevenative measure for the dry cow period (W. Schaeren and J. Maurer) - Health and welfare in organic animal rearig in Spain: what do the veterinarians who advise organic farms say? (R. Garcia Trujillo and J. Fernandez) - Ruminant health in organic agriculture- a research and development project in Austria (E. Stoger) - Exploring the potential of clinoptilolite for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in orgainic sheep production (D. Zygoyiannis) - WORMCOPS - Worm control in organic production systems for small ruminants in Europe: Towards the implementation of non-chemical sustainable approaches (EU-project: QLK5-CT-2001-1843) (S.M. Thamsborg et al) Working Group Report: - Restricted veterinary inputs in organic systems: how should their use be restricted? . Part D: Other posters - Opportunities for Hungarian organic goat milk producer (O. Szekely and T. Kupai) - Opportunities for the Hungarian organic sheep and deer farmer (T.Kupai and O. Szekely) - Native breeds in organic animal production in Hungary (L. Radics and P. Pusztai) - Limitations to organic livestock production: Turkey as a case study for developing countries (Y. Sayan and M.Polat) - Opening channels of communication between the Associated Candidate Countries and the EU in ecological farming (L. Radics and J. Nagy) . Part E: Report on SAFO messages - Key messages from the EU- funded concerted action network Sustaining Animal Health and Food Safety in Organic Farming- results of a participant consulatation . Part F: Standard development work 4th Report from the SAFO Standard Development Group Preliminary recommendations for the development of organic livestock standards in relation to animal health and food safety-working group feedback . List of delegate

Research in Organic Animals and Livestock Production

Over the last 80 years a wide range of diverse organic livestock systems have developed. The driving force behind these developments has mainly been the farmers, consumers and various movements; and it has happened more “despite research” than “because of research.” Most production methods have developed in Western Europe and USA, where they are primarily niche products for consumers who give priority to environmental and animal welfare concerns. In these countries organic livestock production offers the option of establishing a niche product that can be sold at a higher price, e.g. as for milk and eggs. In some cases, the potential of organic farming is associated with the adoption of organic principles into existing systems with the aim of improving sustainability, and achieving environmentally friendly production, food security and good food quality. In the US, government support for organic research, some of which was for livestock studies, increased from 15 million dollars in 2002 to 78 million in 2008. In Australia where more than 95% of the certified organic land is pasture, government-supported research tends to focus on organic dairy and meat production. In addition, research into agro-forestry systems is also of potential interest to the Australian organic sector. In many African and Asian countries, organic livestock plays a very minor role compared with production of high value organic crops, and hence is not covered specifically in research initiatives. A recent survey on African organically-oriented research projects concluded that no significant research focuses on organic livestock. In South America, a number of research projects have been carried out on integrated agro-ecological farming, which includes livestock. These are not necessarily certified organic systems, as “organic” is often perceived as high value products, while “agro-ecological farming” is basically the application of the fundamental organic principles, so research in these systems provides valuable insights for organic research in general. Research is necessary for many reasons, but at a fundamental level it is relevant to both provide specialised knowledge relevant to organic situations (e.g. feed stuffs) and to take a systems approach through interdisciplinary research (e.g. how grazing systems integrate good animal welfare aims with environmental care). A third aspect important to consider is the human and social structures around organic livestock systems, e.g. farmer attitudes, actions, practices and interactions with advisory services

100% Organic Livestock Feeds – preparing for 2005

A project entitled “100% Organic Livestock Feeds – Preparing for 2005” looking at the implications for organic farmers of the removal of the current derogation to use a percentage of non-organic livestock feeds. 1) Researching the required volume of feed stuff, in particular protein crops, and potential for feed production within Wales. 2) Researching the suitability of alternative protein sources, and evaluating livestock systems regarding the potential for a reduction in energy and protein levels. 3) Proposing strategies for the development and stimulation of the industry

Possibilities and limitations of protein supply in organic poultry and pig production. Summary of Results from EEC 2092/91 (Organic) Revision

One of the main objectives of organic agriculture is to establish a largely closed nutrient cycle within the farm system. To limit the input of nutrients in quantity and quality is relevant both to plant and livestock production. If nutrient input is unavoidable to ensure an adequate supply for the farm animals, this should preferably originate from organic systems, while the input of conventional feed stuffs should be restricted to a minimum, and synthetic products are banned. Dealing with limited availability of feed and nutrient resources is therefore a main feature of organic livestock production. The organic approach stands in contrast to the situation in conventional livestock production where the use of feeds and nutrients is restricted primarily by the purchase price. While conventional production has to face various local, regional and global problems caused by excess import and use of concentrated feeds, problems of organic livestock production are primarily related to a lack of nutrients at the farm or herd level. Due to these system-related conditions, there is concern about been able to formulate adequate rations for the nutritional-physiological needs of livestock, especially in relation to essential amino acids in the feeding of poultry and pigs. Nutritional imbalances encountered in practice might lead to deteriorating animal health and welfare. On the other hand, there is also concern that allowing conventional feedstuffs to be fed in organic livestock production. This could result in intensification of production, causing the same problems in organic as in intensive livestock production, such as animal health problems, risk of residues and GM contamination. Thus, extending the derogation for conventional feed in the EU regulation may have a damaging effect on consumer confidence in organic animal products. Work within an the EU funded research project “Organic Revision” (Research to support the revision of the EU Regulation on Organic Agriculture) has the aim to provide knowledge on how to achieve 100% organic feed rations for livestock and simultaneously avoid negative effects on the farm animals. The first step in the project is to obtain an overview of the many different and system related aspects of the protein supply in organic poultry and pig production. The nutritional-physiological effects of a variation in protein supply with respect to growth performance and protein accretion in broilers, turkeys, laying hens and pigs are examined by literature review. Furthermore, the potential effects of the supply with amino acids on product quality and animal health and welfare are addressed. Many different aspects are taken into account to discuss the question of whether extending the derogation concerning the use of non-organic feedstuffs should be considered with respect to the objectives and framework conditions of organic livestock production

Udder health concepts that comply with organic principles - how to reduce therapies?

Both the consumers and the legislators expect products from healthy organic livestock. Consequently, keeping farm animals healthy has the highest priority in veterinary work on organic farms. Different Swiss FiBL projects on bovine mastitis in recent years were aimed at health concepts that comply with organic livestock production principles. This paper summarises some of the work carried out