Grandin Temple
Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA.
Animals (Basel). 2022 Aug 16;12(16):2092. doi: 10.3390/ani12162092.
Many people believe that animal agriculture should be phased out and replaced with vegetarian substitutes. The livestock industry has also been attacked because it uses vast amounts of land. People forget that grazing cattle or sheep can be raised on land that is either too arid or too rough for raising crops. At least 20% of the habitable land on Earth is not suitable for crops. Rotational grazing systems can be used to improve both soil health and vegetation diversity on arid land. Grazing livestock are also being successfully used to graze cover crops on prime farmland. Soil health is improved when grazing on a cover crop is rotated with conventional cash crops, such as corn or soybeans. It also reduces the need for buying fertilizer. Grazing animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, or bison, should be used as part of a sustainable system that will improve the land, help sequester carbon, and reduce animal welfare issues.
许多人认为应该逐步淘汰畜牧业，并用素食替代品取而代之。畜牧业也受到了抨击，因为它占用了大量土地。人们忘记了，牛或羊可以在过于干旱或崎岖而无法种植作物的土地上饲养。地球上至少20%的可居住土地不适合种植作物。轮牧系统可用于改善干旱土地的土壤健康和植被多样性。放牧牲畜也成功用于在优质农田上放牧覆盖作物。当在覆盖作物上放牧与玉米或大豆等传统经济作物轮作时，土壤健康状况会得到改善。这也减少了购买化肥的需求。放牧动物，如牛、羊、山羊或野牛，应作为可持续系统的一部分加以利用，该系统将改善土地、帮助固碳并减少动物福利问题。
