Mixed Farming Systems: livestock/cash crops

The specialization and intensification of European farming systems increased productivity but also led to serious consequences on the environment. These consequences include water pollution due to an excess of manure and slurries in certain areas and high reliance on external mineral and feed inputs, loss of biodiversity and lower resilience to climate change. These negative impacts are partially linked to the separation of livestock farming and cash crop production both at farm and regional level. Mixed farming systems (MFS), which show a high potential in adapting to climate variations, can use resources more efficiently by using crops and grasslands to feed animals and fertilizing their fields with manure from the animals. This report presents the results of the EIP-AGRI Focus Group on 'mixed farming systems: livestock/cash crops'. The report analyses successful case-studies of MFS at the farm and at regional level across the European Union highlighting relevant innovations and the main barriers and opportunities underlined to the development of MFS. The report explores technical and/or organizational solutions to enable sustainable MFS.