Fokdoelen en runderrassen voor natuurinclusieve melkveehouderij: De waarde van Nederlandse dubbeldoelrassen voor extensieve veehouderij

Nature-inclusive dairy farming, which integrates food production and nature, can reduce environmental pressure and restore biodiversity. Animal breeding plays an important role in this transition. This project explored suitable breeding goals for nature-inclusive dairy farming and the potential of Dutch dual-purpose cattle breeds. A nationwide analysis compared farms with dual-purpose cattle to Holstein farms. There was a lot of crossbreeding and breeds were found in various farming systems. MRIJ was more common on sandy soils with maize, while Dutch-Friesian and Groningen White-Headed were more prevalent on clay soils with grazing. Performances varied by breed and farming system. Additionally, 31 farmers provided insights into their farm management and breeding strategies. Key breeding traits include efficient roughage utilization, resilience to changing conditions, and high-quality milk and meat production. Measuring traits like robustness and grazing ability can further optimize breeding. The transition to nature-inclusive dairy farming presents opportunities for dual-purpose breeds, with breed choice and breeding goals depending on farm type and farmer preferences.