The risks and opportunities of increasing yields in organic farming, including animal health and welfare, was reviewed in a recent publication by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences as part of an extensive collaboration with other universities and research institutes. Strategies to increase yields in organic livestock production typically include improved management and diet formulation, decreased mortality, decreased injury and disease rates and improved breeding.
Reduced udder health and increased locomotion problems in dairy cows, joint lesions in pigs, feather pecking in laying hens and reduced leg health in broiler chickens are other examples of how improved yields affect animal health and welfare. If yields are increased by breeding, there is a risk for less robust animals with increased health problems. Increased concentrate levels in ruminant diets can lead to risks of metabolic diseases (especially in cattle) and reduced opportunities of grazing, which is a natural behaviour. However, animal welfare could be improved by reducing mortality and disease incidence.
doi.org/10.1007/s13593-018-0489-3
Elin Röös, Axel Mie, Maria Wivstad, Eva Salomon, Birgitta Johansson, Stefan Gunnarsson, Anna Wallenbeck, Ruben Hoffmann, Ulf Nilsson, Cecilia Sundberg & Christine A. Watson. 2018. Risks and opportunities of increasing yields in organic farming. A review Agronomy for Sustainable Development (2018) 38:14