Impact of climate change on the sustainability of cereal-livestock farming in the Lombardy region (Northern Italy)

Impact of climate change on the sustainability of cereal-livestock farming in the Lombardy region (Northern Italy). Climate change is threatening agricultural productions in many areas worldwide, because of raising temperature, unfavourable rainfall distribution and increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. In this context, maize is expected to be particularly affected (e.g., Supit et al., 2012), mainly because of the shortening of the grain filling phase and of water scarcity. Maize is the main crop among those grown in the Lombardy region (Northern Italy), characterized by intensive systems targeting the support of highly specialized cereal-livestock farming units (CLFU) and by relevant negative externalities, given the high request of inputs (e.g., fuel, fertilizers, water) (Fumagalli et al., 2011). This simulation study aimed at comparing alternative cropping systems by considering their response to climate change in terms of (i) productivity, (ii) water consumption and (iii) potential to ensure the dietary energy requirements in different types of CLFU specialized in swine and dairy cattle breeding.