Organic as an answer to challenges in global livestock production?

By Selina Ulmann

The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) invited experts and practitioners from around the world to the recent IFOAM Animal Husbandry Alliance Conference (IAHA), held in Frick, Switzerland, in late April, toaddress a central question: “Is organic animal husbandry a role model for the future of livestock production?” The discussions quickly revealed that the answer needs to be sought in a context-based manner, highlighting different starting points and priorities between the Global North and Global South. Attended by a diverse group of researchers, farmers and policy-makers, the conference served as a platform for dialogue, combining presentations from research and essays from the practitioners' side, while providing time for discussions between participants.

Different perspectives on challenges in organic animal husbandry

Presentations from the Global North predominantly focused on refining existing husbandry challenges within organic frameworks, addressing questions like “How many animals are 'enough'?" and exploring ways to tackle issues such as insufficient prices, challenges with male animals, and inadequate breeding strategies in European ruminant systems. In contrast, representatives from countries in the Global South discussed a more fundamental question: what should “organic livestock production” mean in their contexts? They highlighted barriers such as inadequate cold chains, insecure feed supplies, low productivity, limited availability of organic inputs and challenges in accessing organic markets arising from high certification costs, lack of government support and lack of defined regulations. For instance, while India has the highest number of certified organic farmers globally, certified organic livestock farming remains a niche, and in most African countries, certified organic animal farming stays extremely limited and is far less developed than organic crop production.

An analysis by Irenie Chakoma, a livestock consultant from Zimbabwe, of the goat value chain in her country highlighted challenges like high goat mortality, underdeveloped market infrastructure and low market prices, despite the critical role goats play for rural households. Felix Matheri from ICIPE, Kenya, talked about his research on manure-based compost production methods and their potential to close nutrient cycles while enhancing soil health. Matheri emphasised the importance of integrating livestock into organic farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa, where the availability and quality of organic inputs often still cause major problems.

Presentations by Arvind Sharma from the Department of Animal Husbandry of Himachal Pradesh, India, and University of Queensland, Australia and Ankaj Thakur from CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, India, both on transhumant pastoral communities in the Himalayas, discussed traditional low-input systems where animals are integral to the social fabric and contribute to the conservation of indigenous animal genetic resources. These production systems are largely aligned with organic principles, and organic certification could offer valuable market opportunities and a promising pathway for revitalising declining traditional practices. But there would also be barriers to organic conversion, such as the need for an intensive use of allopathic medicine to increase production and reproduction. A further challenge, ensuring traceability in animal husbandry, was emphasised particularly by conference participants from various countries in the Global South.

The conference highlighted that organic livestock farming is not a single, globally uniform system but rather encompasses a wide range of realities and production contexts. In the Global North, organic livestock production is typically well established and supported by extensive certification frameworks. In contrast, many livestock husbandry systems in the Global South already include core organic principles through their traditional practices, yet they have often not been incorporated into formal organic certification schemes, and livestock owners are not sufficiently sensitised and educated about organic animal husbandry.

Despite these profound differences, participants expressed a shared commitment to core organic values: enhancing animal welfare, holistic and systemic thinking, and ensuring environmental and social sustainability. The value of Indigenous Knowledge and local breeds in terms of their resilience and cultural significance was consistently emphasised.

The conference created ample opportunities for participants to engage in discussions and exchange
ideas. Photo: FiBL

Key conclusions reflected in the conference declaration

The IAHA conference presented a vision of livestock farming rooted in organic agriculture, ethical responsibility, agroecology and systems thinking. Rather than prioritising productivity and technological optimisation, it framed animal husbandry primarily as a moral, ecological, and social practice embedded within sustainable food systems. Several common values were identified and published in the conference’s declaration:

1. Animals as integral partners: One strong, unifying value was the notion that animals should be viewed as an integral element of agricultural ecosystems, not merely as production units. Ethical treatment of animals is seen as inseparable from ecological sustainability and social legitimacy.
2. Holistic and agroecological thinking: The conference emphasised integrated farming systems where crops, animals, soils, biodiversity and rural communities function together. This includes themes like agroforestry, crop-animal integration, nutrient cycling and pasture-based production, and the “One Health” concept linking animal, human, and ecosystem health.
3. Sustainability beyond emissions: Sustainability was understood broadly, connecting animal welfare, biodiversity protection, cultural continuity, farmer livelihoods, food and land sovereignty, ethical consumption, and long-term ecological balance.
4. Diversity, local knowledge and inclusiveness: The conference validated practical farming experience, Indigenous Knowledge and local adaptation as legitimate sources of expertise, alongside scientific approaches. It stressed the importance of locally adapted breeds and context-specific solutions rather than universal technological models.
5. Dialogue and ethical reflection: Unlike many scientific conferences, the IAHA event encouraged normative debate, asking “How much is enough?” regarding animal products and engaging in ethical self-criticism about the future legitimacy of livestock production.

Principles and remaining challenges

Organic livestock farming relates to the IFOAM principles of ecology, fairness, health and care, offering opportunities to combine biodiversity, animal welfare, low-input farming and climate resilience. However, discussions also acknowledged trade-offs between productivity, emissions, animal welfare and land use, indicating limitations on animal numbers and product amounts. This points to the idea of “sufficiency”: sustainable livestock farming must operate within environmental and ethical limits rather than pursuing unlimited production growth. A fifth IFOAM principle of “sufficiency” was suggested to acknowledge these boundaries.

Furthermore, while standards and certification are essential, the conference highlighted challenges for smallholder farmers, particularly in the Global South, where administrative burdens, costs, lack of support and knowledge in organic animal husbandry, and traceability requirements are significant. Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) were discussed as promising alternatives to balance reliability with accessibility.

Flexible, inclusive approaches needed

For a truly sustainable future, organic animal husbandry must move beyond rigid frameworks. It needs flexible, inclusive approaches that reflect local realities, integrate “organic by default” systems, and build on ethics, sufficiency and local knowledge. Existing organic livestock systems must continue to evolve and address their remaining challenges. At the same time, we need to rethink what organic animal husbandry can mean in regions where organic farming and livestock production have rarely come together. Only then can organic livestock become a truly global concept, one that supports resilient food systems, strengthens rural communities and recognises animals as valued partners in agriculture.

Selina Ulmann is Group Leader of the group Agroecosystem Innovation & Adoption at the Department of International Cooperation at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Frick/Switzerland.

Contact: selina.ulmann@fibl.org

Link to declaration (available from 21/07/2026)

Further reading:

Rural 21 issue 2/2024: Livestock