Agricultural systems are facing ever-increasing challenges, such as increasing global demand for livestock products involving intensification, conflicting demands on land and water resources, and climate change. All these challenges entail natural resource degradation including loss of livestock genetic diversity, and some unprecedented trade-offs that can easily ‘tip the balance’ in the production systems.
The section of Animal Breeding and Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics aims to contribute to efficient and sustainable livestock production systems and food and nutritional security. Therefore, we investigate efficient breeding approaches, livestock husbandry techniques, novel (information) technology, climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in livestock systems, integrating socio-economic and biophysical determinants. We conduct basic and applied, inter- and transdisciplinary research in intensive and extensive (incl. organic) systems in temperate, tropical and sub-tropical environments using modelling and conventional approaches.
