Dairy Goat Farming in Alpine Mountain Areas: Sustainability and Profitable Approach

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Science
• Economics

Background:

• Dairy goat farming is economically important in alpine regions but its environmental and economic performance is not well understood.
• Quantifying the economic viability and environmental impacts of these farms is crucial for sustainable development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the relationship between profitability and environmental impacts in alpine dairy goat farms.
• To explore the trade-offs between economic and environmental performance in this agricultural sector.

Main Methods:

• Utilized full-cost accounting and life cycle assessment (LCA) on data from ten dairy goat farms in South Tyrol.
• Analyzed environmental impacts per kilogram of milk and per hectare of agricultural land.
• Employed Pearson correlation and linear regression to examine relationships between income and greenhouse gas emissions.

Main Results:

• Farm income per kg of milk varied significantly (-€1.10 to €2.50), influenced by herd size and subsidies.
• Average global warming potential was 2.96 ± 1.18 kg CO2 eq per kg of milk.
• A significant positive correlation (r = 0.80, p < 0.05) was found between farm income and greenhouse gas emissions.

Conclusions:

• A trade-off exists between economic profitability and environmental performance in dairy goat farming.
• Enteric methane and energy use are primary drivers of climate impact.
• Enhancing individual animal productivity, rather than increasing herd size, offers a promising strategy for improving farm profitability while mitigating environmental burdens.