Ethiopia is one of the poorest and most populated countries in the world. It is also one of the largest receivers of foreign aid in the world. The Borana Plateau in the Oromia region is one of the poorest regions in southern Ethiopia. The local population in this region has relied on livestock for their livelihood for many generations. The growing number of humans and livestock on the Borana Plateau has caused the rangeland to be degraded. Coupled with more frequent and severe droughts, this growth can cause the loss of a large number of the livestock in this region from time-to-time. Several scientific and social studies have been conducted regarding how to maintain more sustainable livelihoods on the Borana Plateau in the face of all of these challenges. Most of the social science literature has focused on the poor and how to build their resiliency in the face of poverty and drought. Research about poor pastoralists is very important. However, it is likely the wealthy pastoralists of the region have the greatest potential to fuel economic activity by their investment decisions. This thesis focused on an analysis of portfolio diversification and risk management by wealthy pastoralists on the Borana Plateau. The method was to choose 12 important and wealthy pastoralists to survey to obtain data for the analysis. The idea was that wealthy pastoralists have more discretionary income available to invest compared to other local people. They have large-sized cattle herds, which leads to a larger-than-average consumption of the community water and forage resources. Wealthy pastoralists can also provide employment for the local communities for milking and herding activities. Understanding the diversification strategies used by this segment of the pastoralist population also provides some insights about the diversification strategies that are available and the barriers that exist to accessing different forms of investment to allow for diversification. This type of information may help us understand how to aid more general economic development in the Borana Plateau given that investment decisions of the wealthy are relatively important compared to the general population. It is also likely true that the livestock investment decisions by wealthy pastoralists may point to the future configuration of livestock herds on the Borana Plateau. A nonlinear quadratic program was used to estimate five optimal portfolios using a mean-variance (E-V) formulation for minimizing variance. These optimal portfolios were analyzed together with the portfolios actually held by the 12 participants using risk analysis. This included using portfolio analysis, stochastic dominance, and stochastic efficiency, and estimating risk premiums for different investment alternatives. It was found that large investments in camels, savings accounts, and real estate are preferred by very risk-averse producers. A combination of cattle, camels, and savings tended to make up the portfolios of more risk-seeking participants.

The purpose of this paper was to determine the immediate impact of reductions in public grazing on livestock production in the United States. This was accomplished by the use of linear programming techniques. Different grazing reduction simulations were utilized to determine the short and long run effects of across-the-board reductions in public grazing. The United States was divided into 13 regions. The 11 western states were considered as individual regions. Special emphasis was placed on the effects of grazing reduction on Utah. The availability and utilization of feed and livestock products during a "normal year", 1978, were considered in this study. Adjustments in the feed and livestock economies were noted through the simulated reduction in available public grazing lands. Recommendations and possible implications of such actions were also included.

The production of cattle in the United State is a very large business. Production begins at the cow-calf level, where a calf is born and raised to a specific weight. This weight is the weaning weight and averages between 300-600 pounds. The calf is then typically shipped to a feedlot, where it is fed a high corn ration which increases the weight of animal quickly and cost effectively to reach a sufficient slaughter weight. Cattle production takes place primarily in 5 different geographical locations which include the North Central, Southeast, Northern Plains, Southern Plains, and West regions. Due to the relationships between fed cattle prices, feeder cattle prices and feed costs, lighter weight feeder cattle typically sell for a higher price per pound than heavier weight feeder cattle. This decrease in price per pound for heavier feeders is often referred to as a feeder cattle price slide. This study is to determine how price slides have reacted over time and space due to the relative changes in fed and feeder cattle prices and the cost of feed. Weekly data was obtained from the Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC) on the auction price for feeder cattle at different weights for both steers and heifers. Weekly data on the futures price of live cattle and corn were also obtained from the LMIC. To determine if feeder cattle price slides had changed over time, regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between feeder cattle prices at varying weights with the price of fed cattle and the price of corn. Two different time periods were used for the same location: the first period was from 1992 to 1996 and the second period was from 2005 to 2015. Price slides were also examined across space. There were five different geographical locations analyzed: Oklahoma, Nebraska, Georgia, Kansas, and Montana. Each region was regressed individually and then compared. Prices slides were calculated as the difference in the regressed feeder cattle price at each weight. A combination of the time and space was used to evaluate changes in the same model. Results from the regression models returned feeder cattle prices at varying weights for steers and heifers and price slides were calculated from those estimated prices. It was found that price slides are not constant over time and that price slides are geographically specific. In the third objective, it is shown that time and space are both factors in determining price slides for feeder cattle. The implications of this study are to help cattle producers be more aware of market conditions specific to changes in feeding cost. It is also to make aware that price slides are not constant over time and space and therefore, must be reevaluated on a consistent basis.

Livestock guardian dogs – or “LGDs” – are commonly used by domestic sheep ranchers and reduce the need for killing wild carnivores to protect livestock. LGDs are mostly used in the United States to reduce the number of livestock killed by coyotes, but whether they can prevent killing by larger carnivores like wolves and grizzly bears is unclear. It is important to identify which behavioral traits and LGD breeds work best for guarding livestock so that ranchers can protect their stock and environmentalists can enjoy a greater number of wild animals on the landscape. This study investigated the effectiveness of different LGD breeds in the Western U.S. to help determine how best to use LGDs. I investigated (1) which LGD breed works best for each predator, (2) if LGD breeds behave differently, (3) how carnivores respond when LGDs and sheep move through their home ranges, and (4) whether having good LGDs makes ranchers more accepting of predators. I compared common U.S. breeds of LGD with three exotic breeds used primarily in other countries with wolves and grizzly bears. From 2013 – 2016 data was collected on sheep that were killed and what killed them, how different LGD breeds behaved, what carnivore species were present near sheep grazing with LGDs, and ranchers’ attitudes towards LGDs and large carnivores throughout Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Results of the study show that all three of the exotic breeds of LGD are better at protecting sheep from certain predators than LGD breeds commonly used in the U.S. There are also some breed differences in LGD behavior that may help ranchers make better decisions about which LGD breed is best for them. Sheep grazing with LGDs seemed to drive-off wolves, but they also attracted smaller carnivores. Also, ranchers’ attitudes about LGDs are generally very positive, but they don’t affect attitudes about wolves and grizzly bears. Below, I discuss these and other findings in terms of both ecology and wildlife management.

L’expansion et l’intensification agricole ont d’énormes conséquences sur la biodiversité. L’étude des compromis entre production et biodiversité peut aider au ciblage de mesures en faveur de la biodiversité.L’objectif de la thèse était de révéler des stratégies d’utilisation des sols agricoles qui permettraient d’enrayer le déclin des oiseaux agricoles tout en maintenant la production dans un territoire partagé entre grandes cultures et élevage de ruminants.Notre travail s’est basé sur l’étude de corrélations entre des variables décrivant l’utilisation des sols agricoles, la production agricole et plusieurs descripteurs des communautés d’oiseaux dans les milieux agricoles français.Nous avons observé des communautés d’oiseaux très spécialisées et pauvres en espèces dans les régions à haute production végétale ; et des communautés dominées par des oiseaux généralistes dans les régions à haute production animale. La stratégie qui maximise le FBI (un indice d’abondance des oiseaux agricoles) en maintenant la production dans ses composantes animale et végétale combinait une légère extensification des grandes cultures, le renforcement des régions d’élevage extensif et l’intensification des régions d’élevage déjà intensives.Nos résultats soulignent la nécessité d’adopter des solutions différenciées à la production animale et à la production végétale, au-delà de la dichotomie land sparing/land sharing. / Agricultural expansion and intensification have disastrous consequences on biodiversity. Studying the relationship between biodiversity and food production can help devise appropriate measures.The objective of this work was to reveal land use strategies to halt the decline of farmland birds while maintaining agricultural production.Our work was based on the study of correlations between agricultural land use, food production, and various bird community descriptors across French agroecosystems.In high crop production regions, we observed low-diversity communities dominated by few arable specialist species. In high livestock production regions, we observed communities dominated by generalist bird species. The land-use strategy that maximized the Farmland Bird Index under crop and livestock production constraints involved a decrease of crop intensity in the most intensive crop regions and an increase of livestock intensity in the most intensive livestock regions. Extensive livestock production was reinforced in current extensive areas.Our results have shown that different strategies are needed in crop-dominated and in livestock dominated regions.

Die bebilderte Broschüre stellt die Zuchtgeschichte, die Nutzung, die Gefährdung und den Bestand sächsischer Nutztierrassen vor. Damit das wertvolle Kulturgut und ihre Vielfalt für nachfolgende Generationen erhalten bleiben, fördert der Freistaat Sachsen die Haltung zahlreicher Rassen. Die Broschüre informiert Züchter und Halter über die Voraussetzungen der Förderung und geht auf spezielle Fördermöglichkeiten bei einzelnen Rassen ein.

京都大学 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(地球環境学) / 乙第13493号 / 論地環博第16号 / 新制||地環||44(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院地球環境学舎地球環境学専攻 / (主査)教授 舟川 晋也, 教授 西前 出, 准教授 真常 仁志, 教授 樋口 浩和 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Global Environmental Studies / Kyoto University / DFAM

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Livestock and poultry are two growing subsectors of global farming economy with an impact on the environment and thus deserving closer attention. While the farms play a major role in providing protein essential for human diets, they are also sources of significant amounts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Hence, the sectors need to improve their environmental performance and mitigate their negative impacts on climate. To estimate the annual GHG emissions from a dairy and poultry farm, a case study was conducted in the rural area of Bangladesh. The study has considered the supply chains of both farms while estimating the emissions.  The study also estimated the GHG emission reduction potential of a small biogas based polygeneration system aimed at providing energy services in the rural area. LCA (lifecycle assessment) has been used as the main tool while estimating the emissions.

There is growing interest within the agricultural industry on how cover crop systems affect soil health and economic productivity in integrated crop-livestock systems. This study investigated the combined effects of cover crop species; no-till and conventional till; and grazed (G) and un-grazed (UG) in a continuous corn (Zea mays) production system in east-central Mississippi. Cover crops were established in the fall of 2019 and 2020 in two separate field studies. Corn yield was not affected by grazing or tillage but was affected by cover crop species. We then compared the difference in cover crop species treatments with their respective corn yield and observed the greatest net return with the control ($252.09 ac-1). Organic matter was greater with the G area (1.03%) as compared to the UG (0.88%). Grazing resulted in bulk densities of 1.45 and 1.47 g cm3-1 for UG and G, respectively.