Sustainable Livestock Waste Treatment Technologies: Survey on a Group of Italian Farms

The present study focuses on the expected benefits and drivers that may influence the adoption of sustainable waste treatment technologies in the livestock sector, as well as enterprises’ provision for future investments pursuing sustainability. Forty-seven livestock enterprises were administered a questionnaire investigating: i) the adoption and intention to adopt strategies and technologies to reduce the environmental impact of livestock waste, ii) the expenses they incurred, iii) the frequency of exposure to various information sources, and iv) the perceived drivers and benefits. The results showed that 66% of the respondents adopted sustainable technology solutions to manage livestock waste aimed at recovering nutrients or reducing GHG emissions. The expected benefits in adopting sustainable technologies are firstly “the improved soil fertility and soil organic matter content”. For those enterprises that do not adopt any of the proposed technologies, the rising prices of mineral fertilizers and the possibility of producing on-farm bioenergy would be the main drivers to adoption. The average expense for initial investment is 20–50 k€, primarily funded by enterprises’ own capital and secondarily by rural development programs. Forty-three percent of the respondents expressed their intention to continue investing in the future, primarily on “high-precision distribution systems for slurry on-field application” and “automated systems for the management of waste within the livestock house”. Results from the present survey are a valuable baseline to develop and disseminate targeted information on implications and opportunities for sustainable livestock treatment systems, addressing policy makers, farmers’ trade associations, and technology providers.