IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i3p1098-d1327791.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainable Livestock Farming in the European Union: A Study on Beef Farms in NUTS 2 Regions

Author

Listed:
  • Giuseppe Di Vita

    (Department of Agriculture Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, 95123 Catania, Italy)

  • Raffaele Zanchini

    (Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Turin, Largo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy)

  • Rachele De Cianni

    (Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Turin, Largo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy)

  • Liam Pippinato

    (Independent Researcher and Regional Officer, Piedmont Region, Piazza Castello 165, 10122 Torino, Italy)

  • Teresina Mancuso

    (Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Turin, Largo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy)

  • Filippo Brun

    (Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Turin, Largo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy)

Abstract

Despite the significant role of beef in the European agri-food industry, its intensification challenges environmental sustainability, a focus of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027. Balancing industry importance with sustainability is crucial. This study aims to address sustainability issues in livestock production by establishing a correlation between sustainability levels and regional specificities at the NUTS 2 level. The study aims to categorize more sustainable models, with a particular focus on cattle farming activities that exert minimal environmental pressure on renewable resources. The goal is to identify eco-friendly practices that align the best with environmental conservation efforts in agricultural settings within European Union countries. To achieve this, a survey was conducted, utilizing principal component analysis, followed by cluster and georeferenced analyses of structural and socio-economic data from the beef sector. This encompassed factors such as land use, physical farm dimensions, socio-economic and management characteristics, and environmental indicators. Sixteen indicators were extracted and analyzed from EUROSTAT datasets, referencing NUTS 2 regions, and the comprehensive analysis identified five clusters as distinct farm management models, distributed variably across the territory. The results demonstrate that the best-performing models exhibit significant differences in terms of farming intensiveness, geographical distribution, and economic profitability, underscoring a certain polarization between economic and environmental sustainability. This study innovatively guides EU sustainable agriculture initiatives by categorizing sustainability levels in diverse cattle farming contexts, considering regional specificity, and emphasizing environmental impact reduction. The results can inform policy decisions, guide financial incentives, and promote eco-friendly practices, shaping a more targeted and resilient European agricultural policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Giuseppe Di Vita & Raffaele Zanchini & Rachele De Cianni & Liam Pippinato & Teresina Mancuso & Filippo Brun, 2024. "Sustainable Livestock Farming in the European Union: A Study on Beef Farms in NUTS 2 Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:3:p:1098-:d:1327791
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/3/1098/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/3/1098/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gunnar Breustedt & Thomas Glauben, 2007. "Driving Forces behind Exiting from Farming in Western Europe," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 115-127, February.
    2. Mario Herrero & Benjamin Henderson & Petr Havlík & Philip K. Thornton & Richard T. Conant & Pete Smith & Stefan Wirsenius & Alexander N. Hristov & Pierre Gerber & Margaret Gill & Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, 2016. "Greenhouse gas mitigation potentials in the livestock sector," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(5), pages 452-461, May.
    3. Dario Caro & Steven Davis & Simone Bastianoni & Ken Caldeira, 2014. "Global and regional trends in greenhouse gas emissions from livestock," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 126(1), pages 203-216, September.
    4. Zhou, J.B. & Jiang, M.M. & Chen, G.Q., 2007. "Estimation of methane and nitrous oxide emission from livestock and poultry in China during 1949-2003," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 3759-3767, July.
    5. Labarthe, Pierre & Laurent, Catherine, 2013. "Privatization of agricultural extension services in the EU: Towards a lack of adequate knowledge for small-scale farms?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 240-252.
    6. Giannakis, Elias & Bruggeman, Adriana, 2018. "Exploring the labour productivity of agricultural systems across European regions: A multilevel approach," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 94-106.
    7. E. C. Mamatzakis & C. Staikouras, 2020. "Testing for the effects of credit crunch on agriculture investment in the EU," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(4), pages 434-450, October.
    8. Gerdessen, Johanna C. & Pascucci, Stefano, 2013. "Data Envelopment Analysis of sustainability indicators of European agricultural systems at regional level," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 78-90.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yixuan Guo & Yidong Wang & Shufeng Chen & Shunan Zheng & Changcheng Guo & Dongmei Xue & Yakov Kuzyakov & Zhong-Liang Wang, 2019. "Inventory of Spatio-Temporal Methane Emissions from Livestock and Poultry Farming in Beijing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-11, July.
    2. Barnes, Andrew P. & Bevan, Kev & Moxey, Andrew & Grierson, Sascha & Toma, Luiza, 2023. "Identifying best practice in Less Favoured Area mixed livestock systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    3. Cameira, Maria do Rosário & Rodrigo, Isabel & Garção, Andreia & Neves, Manuela & Ferreira, Antónia & Paredes, Paula, 2024. "Linking participatory approach and rapid appraisal methods to select potential innovations in collective irrigation systems," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    4. Elias Giannakis & Sophia Efstratoglou & Artemis Antoniades, 2018. "Off-Farm Employment and Economic Crisis: Evidence from Cyprus," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-11, March.
    5. Blasi, E. & Passeri, N. & Franco, S. & Galli, A., 2016. "An ecological footprint approach to environmental–economic evaluation of farm results," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 76-82.
    6. Bienvenu Dagoudo Akowedaho & Inoussa Guinin Asso & Bruno Charles Pierre O’heix & Soulé Akinhola Adéchian & Mohamed Nasser Baco, 2022. "Access to Land for Agricultural Entrepreneurial Activities in the Context of Sustainable Food Production in Borgou, according to Land Law in Benin," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-16, August.
    7. Tocco, Barbara & Bailey, Alastair & Davidova, Sophia & Raimondi, Valentina, 2015. "Women and Part-Time Farming: Understanding Labor Supply Decisions in Italian Farm Households," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211932, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    8. Feil, Jan-Henning & Musshoff, Oliver, 2013. "Investment, disinvestment and policy impact analysis in the dairy sector: a real options approach," Structural Change in Agriculture/Strukturwandel im Agrarsektor (SiAg) Working Papers 159229, Humboldt University Berlin, Department of Agricultural Economics.
    9. Tocco, Barbara & Bailey, Alastair & Davidova, Sophia, 2013. "Determinants to Leave Agriculture and Change Occupational Sector: Evidence from an Enlarged EU," Working papers 155704, Factor Markets, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    10. Stokstad, Grete, "undated". "Exit from farming and land abandonment in Northern Norway," 116th Seminar, October 27-30, 2010, Parma, Italy 95343, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Dan Adino & Rose Ondiek, 2025. "The Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Food Security among the Rendille Pastoralist Households," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(15), pages 712-720, May.
    12. Oliver Lazarus & Sonali McDermid & Jennifer Jacquet, 2021. "The climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 1-21, March.
    13. Sanchez, M.E. & Otero, M. & Gómez, X. & Morán, A., 2009. "Thermogravimetric kinetic analysis of the combustion of biowastes," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1622-1627.
    14. Baležentis, Tomas & Li, Tianxiang & Chen, Xueli, 2021. "Has agricultural labor restructuring improved agricultural labor productivity in China? A decomposition approach," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    15. Chen, G.Q. & Chen, Z.M., 2011. "Greenhouse gas emissions and natural resources use by the world economy: Ecological input–output modeling," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(14), pages 2362-2376.
    16. Radosław PASTUSIAK & Magdalena JASINIAK & Michał SOLIWODA & Joanna STAWSKA, 2017. "What may determine off-farm income? A review," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 63(8), pages 380-391.
    17. Natalia Brzezina & Birgit Kopainsky & Erik Mathijs, 2016. "Can Organic Farming Reduce Vulnerabilities and Enhance the Resilience of the European Food System? A Critical Assessment Using System Dynamics Structural Thinking Tools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-32, September.
    18. Helen Harwatt & Joan Sabaté & Gidon Eshel & Sam Soret & William Ripple, 2017. "Substituting beans for beef as a contribution toward US climate change targets," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 261-270, July.
    19. Davidova, Sophia & Hennessy, Thia & Thomson, Ken, 2016. "Rural Jobs and the CAP: Spitting into the Wind?," 90th Annual Conference, April 4-6, 2016, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 236364, Agricultural Economics Society.
    20. Daniel H. Pope & Johan O. Karlsson & Phillip Baker & David McCoy, 2021. "Examining the Environmental Impacts of the Dairy and Baby Food Industries: Are First-Food Systems a Crucial Missing Part of the Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems Agenda Now Underway?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-15, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:3:p:1098-:d:1327791. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.