Animal production in a circular bioeconomy

Abstract

Bioeconomy is defined as the set of activities related to the production of bioresources and their utilization and processing to meet human food requirements and contribute to society’s needs of energy and materials, while preserving natural resources and ecosystem services. In this paper, we describe and quantify the different flows of bioresources related to animal breeding. At the national level, animal farming systems are the main users of bioresources (113 Mt) and agricultural land (55 %) for animal feeding. They largely contribute to the supply of human food, mainly proteins (60 %), lipids (40 %), minerals and vitamins. Through their utilisation of agricultural land and the production of organic manure, they contribute to the production of ecosystem services, such as biodiversity and soil fertility. The production of animal manure amounts to about 19.4 Mt organic matter corresponding to a potential methane production equivalent to 45 TWh primary energy, with only a minor part of it produced until now. Due to their importance, animal production systems are thus major factors for balancing or disrupting biogeochemical cycles, ecosystem services and biodiversity. Significant margins of progress exist to improve their contribution to meeting human needs, better close nutrient cycles, improve autonomy, and reduce inputs and losses to the environment. With this in mind, we discuss some challenges and opportunities for a better integration of animal production into a circular bioeconomy.