Will ruminant farming adapt to climate change? Impacts and levers for adaptation

Abstract

Consequences of climate change for ruminant farming are numerous, from forage to animals. Heat stress has consequences on animal production, reproduction, well-being and health. For grasslands and fodder, climate change means changes in production periods and greater inter-annual variability. There are various, complementary ways of adapting to this problem: adapting the animal by improving its heat tolerance and, more generally, its efficiency, robustness and resilience; improving its living conditions on pasture and in buildings; and ensuring the balance of the forage system by influencing supply through the diversification and complementarity of forage resources, and demand (the animals' needs) by adjusting stocking levels and herd management to ensure that the needs coincide with the seasonal nature of the grasslands. Methods and tools exist to help farmers determine which levers are best suited to their system, and to support them in building an adaptation strategy that combines them as effectively as possible. These adaptation approaches require anticipation and the involvement of all those involved in research and development.