IFAD Research Series 84: Farmed animal production in tropical circular food systems

In this review, the role of farmed animals in circular food systems in the tropics is presented in four case studies, and the impacts of circularity on food security and environmental impact mitigation are discussed. [...] Increased biodiversity and the number of natural predators lower the populations of ticks and harmful insects, and the incidence of diseases, which leads to a reduction in the use of insecticides and antibiotics. [...] N-fixation, SOM contribution and a homogeneous distribution of animal excreta and urine contribute to increasing the efficiency of the system in the use and recycling of nutrients. [...] Examples of recycling of leftover and waste streams are found in the integrated farming systems of the lower Ganges delta in Bangladesh, and the lower Mekong delta in Viet Nam. [...] At the end of each culture cycle, the sludge at the bottom of the trench is taken out and used in the vegetable beds on the dykes of the farms.