The Role of Grazing for Sustainable Communities

1
The Role of Grazing for Sustainable Communities

• Session 2
• 10th Annual Meeting
• Northeast Pasture Research and Extension
  Consortium February 2nd, 2006

2
What makes a community sustainable?

• Reasonable livelihoods
• Healthy environment
• Management of natural resources
• Civic and personal empowerment
• Quality of life

3
How does grazing contribute to sustainable
communities?

• Reasonable livelihoods
• Increased farm profitability
• More farms more entrepreneurs
• More farms more businesses

4
How does grazing contribute to sustainable
communities?

• Healthy environment
• Reduced P loss and eutrophication
• Less soil loss and sedimentation
• Greater wildlife habitat
• Greater carbon sequestration
• Greater energy efficiency and lower emissions

5
How does grazing contribute to sustainable
communities?

• Management of natural resources
• Building soil organic matter
• Holding soil in place

6
How does grazing contribute to sustainable
communities?

• Civic and personal empowerment
• More farms more entrepreneurs
• More control over individual future
• Concentration risk

7
How does grazing contribute to sustainable
communities?

• Quality of life
• More family time
• Safer farming

8
Whats the point?

• If expanded adoption of grazing will bring public
  benefits
• Potential beneficiaries should be at the table
  with us and
• Policy tools can be used to help increase
  adoption.

9
What are some next steps?

• Estimate the full set of impacts from expanded
  adoption of grazing
• Understand the barriers to adoption
• Develop appropriate solutions
• Create policy change through political capital of
  broad stakeholder