Nature-Based Agricultural Solutions for Improving Animal Welfare and Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

Nature-based agricultural solutions (NbAS) are a promising solution for addressing animal welfare and environmental sustainability in livestock production systems in one go. The recent progress of nature-based practices, such as silvopastoral systems, rotational grazing, agroforestry, integrated crop–livestock, wetland restoration, and pasture management to support biodiversity and natural feed supplementation, are reviewed. Comparative analysis of recent studies revealed that NbAS improves animal welfare indicators by 20–35%, decreases the physiological stress of the animals by 18–30% and enhances the productivity of livestock by 15–28% when compared with conventional animal production systems. In addition, these methods reduce GHG emissions by 12-40%, boost soil organic carbon sequestration by 20-45%, boost water-use efficiency by 15-35%, and boost on-farm biodiversity by 25-50%. Monitoring precision, which is enhanced by about 30%, is further enhanced by integration of precision livestock farming, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things technologies and remote sensing, which allow for making management decisions based on data. Nevertheless, the major limitations to large scale implementation are high initial investment requirements, low technical capacity, lack of policy support and low awareness among farmers. The results show how the incorporation of ecological processes and digital innovations leads to resilient livestock production systems that balance animal welfare, ecosystem protection and agricultural production. In conclusion, NbAS are a viable approach to climate-smart, resource-efficient, and eco-friendly production systems for livestock, crucial for achieving food security and sustainable development targets globally.