B9000 - TECNOLOGIE PER LA MITIGAZIONE DELL'IMPATTO AMBIENTALE IN ZOOTECNIA

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have acquired the knowledge and skills required to understand, assess and manage the environmental impacts of livestock production systems, with particular emphasis on sustainability. In particular, they will understand the principles and applications of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a tool for environmental impact assessment and will be able to identify and implement effective emission mitigation strategies, thereby promoting an integrated approach to sustainable livestock farming that complies with current regulations, ensures the responsible use of natural resources, and supports the continuous improvement of livestock production practices through the adoption of appropriate technologies and machinery.

This course forms part of an integrated programme whose learning objectives can be summarized as follows: by the end of the integrated course, students will have acquired the knowledge required to develop and manage livestock production systems in a sustainable manner by integrating complementary competencies related to genetic improvement and selection in livestock species, conservation of animal genetic resources, farm-level management of livestock manure and its use to maintain soil fertility while addressing environmental issues related to soil health and sustainability, animal monitoring and farm automation for precision livestock farming, environmental impact mitigation techniques, and renewable energy production in agro-livestock systems.

Course contents

This course is part of the Integrated Course "Sustainable Agriculture Supporting Livestock Production Systems". Upon completion of the integrated course, students will have acquired the knowledge required to develop and manage livestock production systems in a sustainable manner by integrating complementary competencies related to genetic improvement and selection in livestock species, conservation of animal genetic resources, farm-level management of livestock manure and its use for maintaining soil fertility while addressing environmental issues associated with soil health and sustainability, animal monitoring and farm automation for precision livestock farming, environmental impact mitigation strategies, and renewable energy production in agro-livestock systems.

The course programme is organized into five main modules, combining lectures and laboratory activities.

Module 1. Sustainability and Sustainable Development

Definition and evolution of the concept of sustainability; Triple Bottom Line; Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). General principles of environmental sustainability, key criteria and objectives. Linear economy versus circular economy: sustainability strategies and the Farm to Fork initiative.

Module 2. Precision Agriculture and Precision Livestock Farming

Definition, objectives and contribution to the SDGs; evolution of precision agriculture and precision livestock farming in Italy; tools and technologies for monitoring and managing agricultural and livestock production systems; climate change and its impacts; principles and applications of Agriculture 4.0.

Module 3. Environmental Impact of Livestock Production Systems

Interactions between agricultural and livestock activities; main emissions associated with livestock farming; relevant regulatory framework; technologies and strategies for mitigating environmental impacts.

Module 4. Anaerobic Digestion and Manure Valorisation

Technological solutions for the valorisation of livestock manure; principles of anaerobic digestion; biogas and biomethane production; assessment of biomass suitability for anaerobic digestion processes; manure characterization and determination of Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP).

Module 5. Introduction to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): definition, main applications, opportunities and limitations. Principles of Life Cycle Thinking and introduction to the LCA methodology, with particular reference to the agricultural and livestock sectors.

Readings/Bibliography

The teaching materials for this course are available on the Virtuale Learning Environment (https://virtuale.unibo.it/?lang=en ).

Further readings:

• Allevamento animale e sostenibilità ambientale: i principi, Vol. 1, Franco Angeli ed., 2018
• Allevamento animale e sostenibilità ambientale: le tecnologie, Vol. 2, Franco Angeli ed., 2018
• Gian Luca Baldo, Massimo Marino, Stefano Rossi. Analisi del ciclo di vita LCA- Gli strumenti per la progettazione sostenibile di materiali, prodotti e processi. Manuali di progettazione sostenibile - Edizioni Ambiente 2008 - ISBN 9788889014820
• Calamari L., Bertoni G., Model to evaluate welfare in dairy cow farms. Ital. J. Anim. Sci. 2009, 8, 301-323.
• EFSA, Scientific report on the effects of farming systems on dairy cow welfare and disease. Report of the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare. Annex to the EFSA J. 2009, 1143:1-38
• Arthur Wellinger, Jerry Murphy, David Baxter, The biogas handbook: science, production and applications. Woodhead Publishing, 2013
• AA.VV. Precision livestock farming applications. Making sense of sensors to support farm management Edited by Ilan Halachmi Wageningen Academic Publishers.
  
• A. Guidobono Cavalchini, La mungitura. Tecnologie, scelta e gestione degli impianti, Edagricole, 2010
• Supplementary material related to topical issues.

Teaching methods

The course is delivered through a combination of lectures and practical sessions, conducted both in the classroom and in the laboratory.

During the course, seminars delivered by experts from academia and industry and/or technical visits will be organized to provide students with practical insights into the topics covered.

With regard to laboratory activities and technical visits, students should note the following: due to the nature of the activities and teaching methods adopted, attendance of this course requires all students to complete Modules 1 and 2 of the University of Bologna's health and safety training programme in e-learning mode (https://www.unibo.it/en/services-and-opportunities/health-and-assistance/health-and-safety/health-and-safety-in-study-and-internship-places) and to attend Module 3, which provides specific training on health and safety in study environments.

Information on the dates and attendance procedures for Module 3 is available in the dedicated section of the Degree Programme website.

Assessment methods

The course is part of the Integrated Course "Sustainable Agriculture Supporting Livestock Production Systems", together with the courses "Farm Management of Livestock Manure" and "Selection and Genetic Conservation in Livestock Species". Therefore, the assessment of the integrated course will jointly consider the level of knowledge and skills acquired by the student across the contents of all the above-mentioned courses. The final grade will be calculated as the average of the grades obtained in the three individual courses.

The knowledge and skills acquired in this course will be assessed through an oral examination lasting approximately 20 minutes, during which the use of notes or textbooks is not permitted. The examination consists of three questions covering the topics addressed during the course.

The evaluation will be proportional to the student's ability to properly and critically argue the answers to the questions asked during the examination.The grading criterion for the mark will be, therefore, as far as possible, the following:

Preparation on a very limited number of topics covered in the course, and ability to analyse which emerges only with the help of the teacher, expression in a overall correct language: 18-19;
Preparation on a very limited number of topics covered in the course and ability to autonomously analyse only on purely executive issues, expression in correct language: 20-24;
Preparation on a large number of topics covered in the course, ability to make autonomous critical analysis, control of specific terminology: 25-29;
Substantially comprehensive preparation on the topics faced in the course, ability to make autonomous critical analysis and linking, full control of the specific terminology and ability to argue and self-reflect: 30-30L. 

The result of the oral exam will be communicated at the end of the session. The minimum passing grade is 18/30.

Negative results are not graded numerically but recorded as “withdrawn” or “failed” in the electronic transcript on AlmaEsami, and do not affect the student’s academic record.

Grades for individual parts and the final grade will be published on the Virtuale Learning Environment (https://virtuale.unibo.it/?lang=en ) by the designated course contact within 5 working days of the exam.

Students may reject the final grade ... times (NB: according to University Regulations, at least once), by informing the course examiner via email within 5 working days.

The designated course contact for this course is …

Students can register for exams through the AlmaEsami platform (http://almaesami.unibo.it/ ). Exams are scheduled during the designated periods in the academic calendar. Additional sessions are available for students beyond the standard program duration.

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations, computer, video, WESM lab equipment and materials.

In case of difficulty understanding the course content, the instructor is available for clarification meetings, which must be scheduled via email.

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Valenti