Given that the agroecological approach to livestock farming maximises the fodder a herd consumes from resources available on a given farm’s own land, whether as pasturage or as supplements from, basically, forage crops, it breaks the link with the system of massive imports of protein (mainly soy) and energy concentrates (maize, for example) from the global South. At present this is of particular importance in the case of soy, as mentioned above in Section 2.10, given that soy monocultures in different Latin American countries are having very negative consequences for the opportunity to develop local strategies and practices related to food sovereignty by each local population . Most soy from monocultures in countries such as Argentina and Brazil are exported for animal feed in the global North, thus leaving local populations without food or the land to produce it. Additionally, agro-exports are generally produced with intensive use of agro-chemicals and, in the case of crops such as soy, using transgene varieties, both closely linked to environmental degradation and health problems in the global South.

Thus, putting an end to imports of materials such as soy would not only benefit sustainable livestock farming in countries in the North, but also offer a  viable future to Peoples in the South.

Index