Achieving Sustainable Farming Through Rotational Dairy Farming (Essay Sample)

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Abstract
The dynamic nature of the environment and the increase in human population has created a negative impact on the available resources through pollution and threat towards extinction. The agricultural sector is neither an exemption to this. Taking dairy production, in particular, there is needed to engage in sustainable production which will increase productivity as well as conservation of the environment and the resources. For instance, livestock keeping in large scale through open land grazing has been the major cause of biodegradation, loss of plant productivity, climatic change and massive soil erosions. There was a common perception in the early 1940s that pasture-based dairy farming was most conducive and less harmful to the environment with low input. However, research shows that this system is among the major causes of greenhouse effects and global warming due to the reduction of the plant population and increase in carbon release.
In order to achieve sustainable dairy farming, the rotational grazing model has been advocated for to substitute the pasture-based dairy farming. In rotational grazing, the grass and pants within the grazing regions are given a chance to rejuvenate and grow. Rotational grazing has been promoted as the only viable grazing strategy that has enhanced ecological effectiveness over the years. It minimizes erosion and environmental pollution by livestock and has been noted to increase the pasture and dairy yields by relatively 80% between the 1940s and 2007. In the article pasture for profit (p.5), rotational grazing has increased the quality of forage, where the extra pastures can be sold to add to the economic income. It has been noted as the most effective mode of grazing that requires less labor and time since no one is required to move the livestock during grazing. It has been recommended for solving the range problem and land disputes that result from open land dairy grazing. Breeding in rotational grazing can be controlled hence milk quality is assured. In general, this is the solution to sustainable dairy farming.
References
Briske, D. D., Derner, J. D., Brown, J. R., Fuhlendorf, S. D., Teague, W. R., Havstad, K. M., ... & Willms, W. D. (2008). Rotational grazing on rangelands: reconciliation of perception and experimental evidence. Rangeland Ecology & Manageme...