Building sustainable cattle systems for a warming Europe
In Central Europe’s lowlands of Pannonia, summers are no longer what they once were. They arrive sooner, last longer, and are hotter and drier than in the past. Farmers can see it year after year: grass pastures that once remained green through July now turn dry by early summer. For cows, this is more than a nuisance, but it also impacts milk yields, growth rates, and even fertility. Rearing cows in the old-fashioned manner is increasingly difficult to maintain.
Adapting to the heat
Consider Siniša, northern Serbian farmer. His family has raised cattle for generations, but nowadays he’s had to do everything differently to save the most fundamental aspects of their enterprise. Rather than turning his animals out into the open fields in the hottest part of the day, he’s purchased shaded resting shelters and redesigned milking schedules to take advantage of the cooler morning and evening temperatures. It was an exercise in necessity, where it so happens that heat waves create sudden drop in milk production, but it has also educated him how small, considerate steps can make a substantial difference in animal welfare and farm revenues.
Moving cows, saving pastures
In other parts of Central Europe, the tale is somewhat similar but no less urgent. Austrian farmers are shifting their cattle back and forth between pastures with great frequency. On first glance, it seems more work intensive, fences come up and down, cows are relocated from pasture to pasture. But the payoff is obvious: grass recover faster, soil retains water, and biodiversity returns. Producers who used to fear their pastures drying up in the summer now are looking at healthier, denser pastures that offer good forage even in drought years.
Farming together: trees, crops and cattle
In the meantime, primarily in Southern Europe, cattle farmers are looking to integrate with crops and trees. In southern Italy, cows graze under olive and citrus trees or even vineyards. The trees give shade and protection from scorching sun, and the cattle, in return, fertilize the land and keep the undergrowth in check. This combination of livestock and agroforestry is proving to be a lifeline where climate extremes are hitting the hardest. What was formerly called an “alternative” system is increasingly being brought into the mainstream as farmers realize its durability.
When corn isn’t enough
Across Europe, researchers and farmers are also starting to rethink what goes into the feed trough. Corn has been the go-to for decades, but it’s a thirsty crop and doesn’t always cope well with the hotter, drier summers we’re seeing. That’s why many are experimenting with alternatives that fit their land and climate better. They are replacing corn with barley and oats, as done in France and Germany, because these crops are more dependable and require less water. Sorghum is returning to Eastern Europe’s dry regions since it can tolerate heat where corn just quits. Others are experimenting with high-protein peas and fava beans that not only nourish the animals but also fix nitrogen in the soil. These changes are minimal, but they provide more resilient farms and less vulnerable cows that are not as reliant on a single weak crop.
Farmers, policy and the path ahead
All of which indicates that European cattle farming is standing at a crossroads. Climate change isn’t out there somewhere, it’s here, experienced with each heatwave and drought. But farmers are reacting with new solutions. Shaded barns, more intelligent grazing, making use of trees, trial and error with feed, they’re all part of the new toolkit.
Of course, it requires more than farmers. Policy and assistance count. Funding for research, climate-smart subsidies, and in-the-field advice can make sustainable systems pay not just for the good of the world but the bottom line as well. The Common Agricultural Policy is starting to answer in this fashion, but transformation needs to happen as fast as it does in the field.
The future of cattle rearing in Europe will be something else. It will combine tradition and innovation, driven by adventurous farmers, heat-resistant cattle whining less during heatwaves, and regulation allowing those initiatives to work.
So where does ClimaPannonia come in?”
With ClimaPannonia, we hope to demonstrate that climate-smart cattle farming is a reality that can be developed collaboratively by farmers and policymakers. We’ll be collaborating with farmers throughout the Pannonian plain to test drought-tolerant forages, testing climate-resilient technologies, monitoring productivity and animal welfare with real-time sensors. Simultaneously, our data and experiences will help shape the Common Agricultural Policy and future support programs so that funds go to practices that actually work. ClimaPannonia wants to transform good ideas into a workable, scalable roadmap for resilient, low-emission cattle farming in a warming Europe by tying practical innovation with improved policy.
Author:
Saša Krstović
PhD Biotechnical Sciences, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Assistant Professor in Animal nutrition; Quality Assurance Manager (ISO/IEC 17025) in Laboratory for Quality Control of Feed and Animal Products
