Research Projects

Research Organisation Partners

• Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, 1000 Ljubljana
• Agricultural Forestry Chamber of Slovenia Agricultural Forestry Institute Murska, Štefana Kovača 40, 9000 Murska Sobota sobota 

Abstract

The research project is organized into seven highly interconnected work packages, each encompassing distinct yet interrelated tasks. In the first work package, the primary focus will be on comprehensively defining the term and concept of sustainable animal husbandry. This definition will balance all elements of sustainability, with particular emphasis on the conditions and social evaluations specific to Slovenia. We aim to achieve a high degree of consensus among representatives from agricultural sciences, social sciences, and ecology. The theoretical framework developed through this analysis and consensus will form the foundation for all subsequent work. We will develop sustainability indicators, with a focus on ruminant farming across various types of agricultural holdings, considering both positive and negative aspects of economic, environmental, climatic, and social sustainability. These indicators will be analyzed throughout the project. Already in the first work package, we will outline development scenarios to assess the impacts of transitioning to more sustainable animal husbandry. These scenarios will be further refined and studied in detail as we upgrade the existing SiTFarm model. To ensure realistic modelling, a detailed structural and spatial analysis of livestock farming in Slovenia will be conducted. This analysis will highlight the defined sustainability indicators and provide a comprehensive understanding of the individual pillars of sustainability.

To simulate the potential transformation of Slovenian animal husbandry, we will analyze the decision-making factors of agricultural holdings regarding the shift towards sustainable practices. This analysis will consider production and economic factors such as farm size, location, type of production, and investment activity, as well as psychosocial factors like the knowledge, attitudes, and values of farm decision-makers. Based on these factors, we will develop a typology of farms and assess their potential for restructuring.

Most of the methodological work will focus on further developing the SiTFarm model. This will involve extensive renovations and upgrades to include all supporting modules for an objective scenario analysis of the transition to sustainable livestock farming. Special attention will be given to livestock TAHs. The model will also be enhanced to incorporate organic farming and more accurately simulate conditions on hilly and mountainous farms. The AIS model calculations, essential for this type of analysis, will also be updated. Our goal is to enable the mathematical model to simulate various scenarios and perform multi-criteria modelling to achieve the most optimal balance, based on findings from previous work packages. To realistically simulate the transformation of agricultural holdings, we will adapt the defined livestock TAHs based on current situation analyses and significantly expand their number.

The final part of the project will focus on a scenario analysis of the development possibilities for Slovenian animal husbandry, building on the previous steps. We will quantitatively assess sustainability indicators for various development options over a longer period (at least 10 years), acknowledging that rapid changes are unlikely due to objective circumstances and subjective predispositions. Throughout the project, there will be ongoing discussions with various stakeholders. These discussions will affect the model upgrades, considering different agricultural policy development options that support and accelerate the necessary transition to more sustainable management practices. Consequently, our simulations will account for these policy developments. Based on the results, we will provide concrete and well-evaluated recommendations for agricultural policy.
 

Researchers

•  link to sicris

The phases of the project and their realization