Grass-based production relies on pasture or rangeland to supply the protein and energy requirements of livestock. Grazing and forage feeding replace high grain diets, close confinement and feedlot-finishing during most or all of an animal’s lifetime. The producer focuses on pasture plant and soil management, and proper stocking density and rotational grazing. “An acceptable level of production can be attained as the ecological connections between ruminants, the soil, and the pasture plants is naturally maintained… Pasture-based animal agriculture promotes environmental stewardship and community development owing to the following management practices:
- Use of off-farm inputs, such as diesel, fertilizer, and purchased feed, are minimized.
- The use of toxic substances, such as herbicides and soluble fertilizers, is minimized or sometimes eliminated.
- Limited tillage and use of perennial pastures, which store carbon in the soil while building soil organic matter, conserve soil.
- Water and energy resources are conserved through monitoring and appropriate technologies, such as irrigation monitoring, solar and wind technologies, and biofuel development and use, where applicable.
- Proper plant and animal genetics, such as locally-adapted pasture grasses and low-maintenance animals, are selected.
- Planned grazing systems that favor grass growth contribute to biological diversity.
- Marketing food to local communities, reducing the distance food travels from farm to plate, provisions the community with better, fresher food.
- The development of local processing plants is fostered, which adds value to local animal products while providing employment and economic development.
- The management philosophy is developed that values health in people, animals, plants, and soil
Intensive System?
Modern consumers are giving more attention to nutrition and changing eating habits. It is important that the food is healthy and safe, the supply is undisturbed, and the way in which the food is produced or processed is supervised, so the ethical aspects of food production are also becoming important. Developed countries are also becoming more aware of the problem of large quantities of discarded food, which requires a different attitude toward food, reducing quantities of discarded food, better management of food surpluses, and greater awareness among consumers, traders, and producers.
Agriculture can also have negative impacts on the environment and climate, such as greenhouse gas emissions, negative impacts on water quality and water resources, and on natural ecosystems and biodiversity.
Organic agriculture, on a global, Africa and Nigeria scale, is gaining in importance. The number of organic farms, the share of organically cultivated agricultural land, the amount of organically produced food, and thus the market share of such food are increasing. In Ghana, organic farming is one of the possibilities of producing safe and quality food, while fulfilling many other roles that agriculture plays beside the production of food.
Organic farming largely meets the expectations and needs of the society in terms of protecting the environment in food production, the production of quality, healthy, and safe foods with high nutritional value, and the sustainable management of nonrenewable natural resources and livestock of adequate breeding. Usually, organic farms have mixed production that combines crop production and animal husbandry. This allows for efficient resource management, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, environmental protection, and animal-friendly breeding. In both crop and livestock production, prevention of problems rather than their treatment is emphasized. The use of chemically synthesized fertilizers and pesticides, growth regulators, and hormones and the use of genetically modified organisms are not permitted in organic farming. Organic farming is based on rational use of natural resources, crop rotation, production of intermediate crops allowing the binding of nitrogen from the air, animal fertilizers, green fertilization and compost, biotic control of pests, and varieties more resistant to diseases and pests.