Grazing dairy cows in North-West Europe : Economic farm performance and future developments with emphasis on the Dutch situation

Abstract

The dairy sector is an important contributor to food production, economic activity and land use in the European Union. Grazing has long been a traditional element of dairy farming in the EU. Current developments in the dairy sector appear to result in a decline in grazing. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is concerned about this decline, particularly because of consequences for animal welfare, and has commissioned this analysis. This study gives an overview of the current state-of-the-art and expected future developments with respect to grazing in six key target EU countries of WSPA. The study builds to a large extent on local expertise and focuses on economic aspects and farm management issues