Dependence on the socio-economic system impairs the sustainability of pasture-based animal agriculture.

Livestock systems contribution to environmental change is controversial. Pasture-based systems are considered a sustainable alternative due to their adaptation to the use of local natural resources. However, they have limited productivity per product unit and, in Europe, depend on public economic support.

Evolution of pastoral livestock farming on arid rangelands in the last 15 years.

Livestock farming in arid rangelands constitutes a key component in the agricultural sector, particularly in developing countries. Farms have rapidly changed in recent decades, which has resulted in the modification of their structure, management and economic performance. Nowadays, livestock production in arid rangelands is threatened by climate change, coupled with the impact of complex interactions among social, economic and political factors.

Targeting best agricultural practices to enhance ecosystem services in European mountains.

Agri-environmental policies in Europe are failing to sufficiently address ongoing environmental degradation, biodiversity decline, climate impacts, and societal demands for sustainability. To reverse this, policymakers, practitioners, and farmers need better guidance on which specific agricultural practice/s should be promoted and how to adapt current practices to reach the desired objectives. Here we use social valuation tools to elucidate the relationship between agricultural practices and the provision of key ecosystem services in mountains, including maintenance of scenery from agricultural landscapes, conservation of biodiversity, regulation of climate change through carbon sequestration, production of local quality products, maintenance of soil fertility, and prevention of forest wildfires.

People's attitudes towards the agrifood system influence the value of ecosystem services of mountain agroecosystems.

Studies covering the social valuation of ecosystem services (ES) are increasingly incorporating people's attitudes, which allows social heterogeneity to be identified. This is especially relevant in mountain areas, where diverse complex interactions occur among the environment, the socioeconomic system, and a wide variety of farming practices. In this context, we aimed to: (i) identify the attitudinal dimensions that build people views about the agrifood system; and (ii) analyse how these attitudinal dimensions influence the value given to ES delivered by mountain agroecosystems of two European countries.

Disentangling the Multidimensional Relationship between Livestock Breeds and Ecosystem Services.

There is an increasing interest in assessing livestock breed contributions to ecosystem services (ES) and including this knowledge in decision making. However, this task has been limited due to the complexity of the multidimensional relationship between livestock diversity and ecosystem services. In this work, we elaborate on the livestock breed characteristics central to developing a comprehensive approach to livestock breed inclusion in the ecosystem services framework.