To meet the needs of the world’s rising population and its increasing demand for protein, livestock farming is entering a new phase of intensification. At the same time, the world is faced with major existential threats such as climate change, emerging infectious diseases, environmental destruction, anti-microbial resistance (AMR), food insecurity, and competition for and depletion of natural resources. A century of intensification and innovation has shown that there are opportunities to mitigate negative impacts through sustainable crop-livestock farming practices and to positively contribute to poverty alleviation, gender equality, and improved animal welfare.
Crop and livestock farming systems and the long term health and welfare of humans and animals are inextricably linked. Sustainable intensification of crop and livestock systems are interdependent and cannot be considered separately.
The Colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at K-State University will combine their strengths to take collective action, through coordinated research and capacity building, to provide science to optimize the sustainability of crop livestock farming systems and its positive contribution to society through improved policies and innovative technology.
K-State will work in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and in close collaboration with the private sector and the Multi-stakehol
der Platform (MSP) for Sustainable Livestock to ensure a direct impact on policy. The action will support the Sustainable Development Goals, agreed and adopted by the International Community in September 2015, which aim to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity. The K-State Colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine are unique in hosting world leading expertise in so many key areas related to the development of sustainable crop-livestock farming systems. This includes expertise in sustainable intensification (crops and livestock); climate change; soil science; emerging infectious animal diseases and zoonoses; epidemiology; biofuels; antimicrobial resistance; animal production medicine; genetics (crops and animals); human and animal nutrition; animal welfare; waste management; biodiversity; water efficiency; land tenure; environmental management.
The Colleges work through partnership. Their Centers of Excellence, Institutes and Feed the Future Innovation Labs have developed networks which span the world to engage the whole spectrum of stakeholders, from private food industry to Inter Governmental Organizations to academics and national governments.
The guiding coalition of sustainable crop-livestock systems will take forward two key programs of work:
1. The establishment of a guiding collation of experts on sustainable crop-livestock systems. This network will bring together key areas of expertise to tackle the critical issues affecting sustainable crop-livestock farming systems development through dissemination of scientific knowledge; research and development; and capacity building. The guiding coalition will be coordinated by K-State and engage key external partners in other universities and centers of excellence. It will position K-State as a global leader in sustainable crop-livestock farming systems.
2. In partnership with FAO and in close coordination with the MSP, an international academic symposium will be held at K-State which will convene world leading scientists to review current evidence which contributes to sustainability of crop-livestock farming; to identify gaps in current evidence; and to develop a research agenda for future research and capacity building needs. In addition to highlighting the needed actions, the symposium will further strengthen an international network working towards a common objective.
Expected outputs include:
- A review of current science to inform policies for sustainable crop-livestock systems and agricultural development
- A publication as an output of the international symposium, highlighting the current science and describing/defining research priorities for the future
- K-State CVM and college of agriculture recognized as a global leader in sustainable crop-livestock systems
Potential benefits:
- Positive contribution to health, food security, environmental protection, and agriculture development
- K-State better positioned to apply for/receive funding for research and capacity building linked to UN SDGs from donors
- Coordinated research/action across k-State CVM and college of agriculture (stronger links)
- Enhanced learning experiences for students at K-State CVM and college of agriculture
- Opportunities to enhance global perspective of students and researchers