Grassland resources for extensive farming systems in marginal lands: major drivers and future scenarios

Extensive grassland-based farming systems play a pivotal role in less favoured areas (LFAs), because they often support local economic growth based on the marketing of typical food products (e.g. cheese, meat),which represents the only source of income for many rural micro-economies. They are currently subjected to the contrasting threats of intensification and abandonment in a context of climate change and economic globalization. The LFAs are very weak in terms of political influence and strategies supporting the grassland-based systems often lose effectiveness due to poor coordination between agricultural and environmental policies. But extensive farming systems integrating grasslands and other forage resources offer a really good perspective for satisfying the general expectations on agriculture for an increased feed and food quality and for reducing impacts on the environment. Consumers are increasingly concerned about environmentally-friendly production and animal welfare, and there is evidence that pasture and forage-based diets can improve environmental, ethical and human health outcomes, particularly when compared with that of feed-lot systems. The challenge we face as grassland scientists is to find effective ways of applying the general concept of sustainability, which is also an ethical and moral issue, and to give tools to the farmers, extension workers and policy makers to promote extensive grassland-based farming systems in the LFAs. The ultimate aim of these policies should encourage the development of sustainable farming systems, where farmers obtain their incomes from the added value of animal products but are also rewarded by their supply of ecosystem services. There are great expectations for research regarding the complex interactions between livestock, grasslands and environment under marginal conditions. New holist research approaches and methodologies should be considered to analyse the multifunctionality of extensive farming systems. The 19th Symposium of the European Grassland Federation held in Alghero (Sardinia, Italy) from 7 to 10 May 2017 therefore focused on grassland resources for extensive farming systems in marginal lands. Keynote speakers from a number of different European regions have been invited to address three main topics: o Extensive animal production systems and product quality;o Sustainable grassland management in high nature value areas; o Alternative and multiple-uses of grassland resources. More than 190 scientific contributions were presented and discussed including introductory and invited papers, short oral communications and posters. The contributions were presented by specialists from 35 different countries all over Europe, but also from the other continents (Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Morocco, Tunisia, Uruguay and USA). We warmly thanks all authors, external reviewers and chairpersons for the scientific contribution to the Symposium. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the contribution of the members of Organizing and Scientific Committees for preparing this Symposium.