In pursuit of sustainability in dairy farming: A review of interdependent effects of animal welfare improvement and environmental impact mitigation

摘要

The welfare of dairy cows and their emission potential are two distinct and yet intertwined aspects determining the sustainability of dairy farming. Along with numerous measures to mitigate the sector's environmental impact, good health and welfare are suggested to keep emission levels low. More recently, scientists in both fields have pointed to potential trade-offs for animal welfare arising from the implementation of environmental impact mitigation measures. Research has since focused on the qualitative evaluation of these welfare implications, but little is known about the actual magnitude of the effects on welfare of emission mitigating measures. Moreover, potential environmental impacts associated with welfare improvement measures have hardly been investigated so far, although estimates of respective increases in emission levels associated with various cattle diseases suggest the importance of welfare improvement in pursuit of integral sustainability improvement in dairy farming. For a comprehensive enhancement of the sector's sustainability, a careful balancing of interdependent effects is thus suggested.