The impact of confinement and pasture-based Swiss dairy systems on production efficiency, environment, animal welfare and antibiotic use

Ruminants, specifically dairy cows, produce milk and meat that substantially contribute to the human diet. Recent intensification of dairy production has led to the evolvement of dairy farms with distinct feeding and production strategies: on the one hand, confinement systems based on grass and maize silage supplemented with large amounts of concentrates characterised by high milk yields per cow, juxtaposed to pasture-based systems with dairy cows producing moderate milk yields on a pasture-based ration with limited concentrate use.

In the current PhD project, sustainability of the two contrasting dairy systems under Swiss conditions will be assessed with a focus on the environmental impact, animal welfare and antibiotic resistance situation. Synergies and trade-offs associated with both dairy productions systems will be identified. A special focus will be placed on the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in both dairy systems since this represents a potential hazard for human health. A newly developed sustainability tool, “Accurate Efficient Local Sustainability Assessment”, will be validated based on the outcomes of the on-farm data collection.

Eventually, for each dairy production system, suggestions to reduce environmental impacts, increase animal welfare and improve the antibiotic resistance situation will be presented as well as insights in trade-offs and synergies. The current PhD project recognises both the need for efficient agricultural production and efficient use of limited resources within the dairy sector and will yield recommendations to further improve each of the two distinct dairy production systems.