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Ecological Footprint and animal production

Image by Stijn te Strake

Coordinator : Stefanon Bruno


Members : Bani Paolo, Battaglini Luca, Biondi Luisa, Cannas Antonello, Cassandro Martino, Crovetto Matteo, Enne Giuseppe, Lacetera Nicola, Mele Marcello, Moschini Maurizio, Pauselli Mariano, Pirlo Giacomo, Schiavon Stefano, Giuseppe Pulina,


Objective :

The mission of the Commission is to collect scientific data on the Ecological Foot Print of the livestock sector at national and global level to report the state of the art on the contribution that livestock and farming techniques have on the environment.

The Commission understands the different competences of zootechnical sciences and addresses the issue of Ecological Foot Print from the point of view of genetics, food and nutrition, physiology of production and reproduction, quality of life of animals, farming technologies and the interaction with the soil and the biodiversity of the system.

The Commission's objective is to produce an updated report on the Ecological Foot Print of the farms, containing guidelines for students, technicians and operators in the sector, also able to offer scientific support to the communication and dissemination of the role of livestock in Country and on the Planet.


Activities :

In an initial phase, the Commission's activity focused on disseminating the issue at trade fairs and sector events:

  • Conference "Animal Production and Sustainability." Agriest Udine Fair (January 27, 2011).

  • Cartographic Applications Course in Livestock. Agripolis - Legnaro (18-20 July 2011).

  • Conference “The Animal Footprint: Assessment of the Environmental Impact of Zootechnics” Fieragricola Verona (3 February 2012).

  • Study day "Applications of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the zootechnical field." Agripolis - Legnaro (February 24, 2012).

  • I agree "Reduce the Environmental Impact and Production Costs by Increasing the Efficiency of Use of Resources." Cremona Cattle Dairy Fair (25 October 2012).

  • Conference "Food Production and Environmental Impact: the CarbonFootPrint of farms." VI National Congress ARNA Nutrition Health Wellness, Teramo (11 May 2013).

  • Conference "Environmental sustainability of livestock farms: the ecological footprint". ASSALZOO Annual Assembly, Bologna (26 June 2014).

  • Conference "The multidimensionality of food safety: sources, methods and statistical indicators." ISTAT, Rome (20 November 2018).


NEWS :

Publications :

The activity carried out by the Commission has therefore materialized in a series of publications in technical and scientific journals and in a series of two volumes, published thanks to the collaboration with ASSALZOO.

  • Pirlo G. 2012. Cradle-to-farm gate analysis of milk carbon footprint: a descriptive review. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 11: e20

  • Pulina G, Francesconi AHD, Mele M, Ronchi B, Stefanon B, Sturaro E, Trevisi E. 2011. Feeding a world of nine billion people: the challenges for sustainable animal husbandry. Italian Journal of Agronomy, 6: 39-44.

  • Stefanon B, Pulina G. 2012. Environmental sustainability of animal farms. The Agrarian Informer (Supplement), 3: 39-42.

  • “Ecological Footprint in zootechnical production” Commission of the ASPA. 2012. How to reduce the zootechnical footprint of farms. The Agrarian Informer, 4: 65-69.

  • Cassandro M, Mele M, Stefanon B. 2013. Genetic aspects of enteric methane emission in livestock ruminants. Italian Journal Animal Science, 12: e450.

  • Pulina P, Francesconi AHD, Stefanon B, Sevi A, Calamari L, Lacetera N, Dell'Orto V, Pilla F, Ajmone Marsan P, Mele M, Rossi F, Bertoni G, Crovetto GM. 2017. Sustainable ruminant production to help feed the planet, Italian Journal of Animal Science, e16: 140.

  • Various authors. 2018. Animal breeding and environmental sustainability. Vol. 1: The principles (Stefanon B., Mele M., Pulina G. eds). Franco Angeli.

  • Various authors. 2018. Animal breeding and environmental sustainability. Vol. 2: Technologies (Stefanon B., Mele M., Pulina G. eds). Franco Angeli.

They also collaborated for the series of volumes:

Alberto Mantino, S. Anna University School, Pisa

Alberto Stanislao Atzori, University of Sassari

Alberto Tamburini, University of Milan

Aldo Prandini, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Piacenza

Alessandro Chiumenti, University of Udine

Alessandro Dalla Riva, University of Padua

Alice Cappucci, University of Pisa

Ana Helena Dias Francesconi University of Sassari

Anna Sandrucci, University of Milan

Antonella Santillo, University of Foggia

Arianna Buccioni, University of Florence

Caterina Canalis, University of Sassari

Cesare Castellini, University of Perugia

Claudia Arcidiacono, University of Catania

Enrico Bonari, S. Anna University School, Pisa,

Federica Mannelli, University of Florence

Federico Froldi, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Piacenza

Federico Sirri, University of Bologna

Francesco Da Borso, University of Udine

Francesco Masoero, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Piacenza

Genciana Terova, University of Insubria

Gianluca Galassi, University of Milan

Gianluca Neglia, University of Naples

Giovanni Molle, Agris Sardinia, Bonassai, Olmedo, Italy

Giuseppe Campanile, University of Naples

Ivan Toschi, University of Milan

Laura Gasco, University of Turin

Lea Pallaroni, Assalzoo

Luca Rapetti, University of Milan

Luciana Bava, University of Milan

Lucio Grassia, Padua

Lucrezia Lamastra, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Piacenza

Maddalena Zucali, University of Milan

Marc Vandeputte, INRA-IFREMER, Palavas-les-Flots, France

Marco Saroglia, University of Insubria

Maria Albenzio, University of Foggia

Maria Gabriella Serra, University of Sassari

Maria Giovanna Ciliberti, University of Foggia

Mariangela Caroprese, University of Foggia

Marino Prearo, Ichthiopathology Laboratory, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Valle d'Aosta, Turin

Massimiliano Petracci, University of Bologna

Massimo De Marchi, University of Padua

Mauro Decandia, Agris Sardinia, Bonassai, Olmedo, Italy

Roberto Zaupa, Aia Feed Division, Veronesi Group.

Salvatore Pier Giacomo Rassu, University of Sassari

Samantha Sigolo, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Piacenza

Sara Carè, Council for Research in Agriculture and Analysis of the Agricultural Economy, Center for Zootechnics and Aquaculture Research

Simona Bosco, S. Anna University School, Pisa,

Stefania Colombini, University of Milan

Susanna Lolli, Council for Agricultural Research and Analysis of the Agricultural Economy, Center for Zootechnics and Aquaculture Research

Valentina Cesari, University of Milan

Valeria Giovanetti, University of Sassari

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