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Animal husbandry and Integrated Crop Management (ICM) often are just two branches of one agricultural enterprise. In modern agriculture, animal husbandry and crop production must ber understood as interlinked sectors which cannot be looked at in isolation, as the context of agricultural systems leads to tight interdependencies. Uncoupling animal husbandry from arable production (too high stocking rates) is therefore not considered in accordance with the principles and objectives of Integrated Farming (Lütke Entrup et al., 1998 1). Accordingly, holistic concepts for Integrated Farming or Integrated Farm Management such as the EISA Integrated Farming Framework,[9] and the concept of sustainable agriculture are increasingly developed, promoted and implemented on the global level.
Related to the ‘sustainable intensification’ of agriculture,[10] an objective which in part is discussed controversially, efficiency of resource use becomes increasingly important today. Environmental impacts of agricultural production depend on the efficiency achieved when using natural resources and all other means of production. The input per kg of output, the output per kg of input, and the output achieved per hectare of land - a limited resource in the light of world population growth - are decisive figures for evaluating the efficiency and the environmental impact of agricultural systems.[11] Efficiency parameters therefore offer important evidence how efficiency and environmental impacts of agriculture can be judged and where improvements can or must be made.
Against this background, documentation as well certification schemes and farm audits such as LEAF Marque[12] in the UK and 33 other countries throughout the world become more and more important tools to evaluate - and further improve - agricultural practices. Even though being by far more product- or sector-oriented, SAI Platform principles and practices[13] and GlobalGap[14] for example pursue similar approaches.