ZirKUH
Circular cattle farming systems in Hesse to strengthen regional value chains for milk and beef (ZirKUH)
Abstract
In livestock farming there is a demand for innovative systems and practicable solutions that combine the requirements of sufficient animal products, economic viability, while at the same time, protecting resources and the environment, as well as supporting animal welfare. Circular livestock farming systems offer great potential for combining these requirements, as both ecological and socio-economic benefits can be exploited to a greater extent. It is based on the principles of the circular economy. However, it extends these by considering different areas of impact with their direct and indirect effects (e.g. energy recovery, material recycling or prevention of land competition).
This project will systematically develop the research field of "circular livestock farming systems". Based on life cycle assessment and sustainable performance accounting of Hessian cattle farms, circularity options and optimization potentials are derived, and practicable circular cattle farming approaches are made available for practical application. With the establishment of the ZirKUH-network in the participatory living lap approach, important preliminary work is prepared for the Innovation Centre for Agricultural System Transformation (IAT).
Team
Lutz Breuer, Lisa Petzoldt, Stefanie Reith, Johannes Zeidler, Andreas Gattinger
Duration/sponsor/grant type
January 2024 - December 2026 / Ökoaktionsplan / Hessisches Ministerium für Landwirtschaft und Umwelt, Weinbau, Forsten, Jagd und Heimat