Boosting circularity and diversification strategies of terrestrial livestock production systems

Expected Outcome:Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:farmers, rural communities, and agrifood or animal by-product value chain operators benefit from improved practices, technologies and validated tools that promote sustainability through the implementation of diversification and circularity in livestock farming systems, contributing to agricultural biodiversity;public authorities, consumers and other actors of the value chain are provided with evidence-based information on the socio-economic-environmental impacts of diversification and circularity strategies in the livestock farming systems to support their choices;tailored collective actions are implemented to support the organization of farmers, producers, rural communities and other value chain stakeholders into cooperatives, associations or community networks to enhance collaboration, resources sharing, market access, bargaining power, and sustainable development. Scope:Boosting circularity and diversification strategies of livestock production systems by integrating for example diverse animal breeds and species, multiple animal products and by-products, and sustainable land-use approaches like mixed crop-livestock systems and agroforestry can help to reduce environmental ad climate impact, to increase biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, to minimize waste, and to enhance overall farming system resilience to environmental and economic shocks. Such strategies can provide alternative revenue streams (e.g., meat, dairy, wool, eggs, wood, fruit, manure, ecosystem services/carbon credits), improve farmers’ income stability, reduce dependency on external inputs and on single-product markets, and create more sustainable farms and rural economies.Farmers are increasingly interested in diverse and circular livestock farming strategies, but the efficiency, profitability, trade-offs, interactions, and co-benefits of these strategies vary by region, farm type, and econom