Istat has used a time-series analysis (from 2002 to 2008) of agro-ecosystems in Italy to derive an indicator of the environmental pressure exerted by livestock.
This indicator describes the territory’s overall livestock pressure on the environment, particularly in terms of its potential impact on soil and water quality, by using a weighted standardization to calculate livestock density and generate an expression of livestock burden in terms of Livestock Units (LU). This type of unit is obtained by applying a system of weighted coefficients in order to convert the consistencies measured for different livestock species, which are surveyed annually, into values that are homogeneous and comparable over time.
The monitoring of livestock burden and its evolution over time at national and regional levels, in combination with other agro-environmental indicators generated by Istat, provides an additional interpretative key for helping to understand the complex interrelationship of agriculture and the environment.