Green Assets of Equines in the European Context of the Ecological Transition of Agriculture.
Authors: Rzekęć Agata, Vial Céline, Bigot Geneviève
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary The European horse industry has experienced resurgence over recent decades despite mid-twentieth-century population collapse, driven by diversification into sports, leisure, and racing sectors. Rzękęć, Vial, and Bigot conducted a comprehensive literature review to synthesise fragmented knowledge about equines' environmental contributions across Europe, identifying five distinct "green assets" where horses demonstrably outperform conventional agricultural systems: their grazing behaviour supports pastoral biodiversity; they maintain land in agricultural use through extensive grazing; they enhance domestic animal diversity on holdings; they generate rural tourism revenue; and they perform work functions that reduce reliance on fossil fuel inputs. Despite these documented environmental advantages—spanning soil management, habitat creation, carbon footprint reduction, and rural community resilience—equine contributions remain largely absent from policy discussions and farm management planning at EU level. The authors argue that recognition and strategic integration of equine green assets into sustainable agriculture frameworks could simultaneously address pressing environmental challenges and provide viable economic models for rural development, yet this potential remains substantially underutilised due to sector fragmentation and insufficient knowledge synthesis among policymakers and land managers. For equine professionals advising clients on enterprise diversification and land stewardship, this work underscores the evidence base for positioning horses as legitimate tools in ecological transition, rather than peripheral to modern farming systems.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Document and communicate the specific environmental benefits of equines (grazing patterns, biodiversity support, land management) to position your enterprise within Europe's sustainability transition
- •Engage with regional development initiatives and policymakers to advocate for equine inclusion in agricultural sustainability programs and funding
- •Diversify equine use across sports, leisure, tourism, and conservation work to maximize economic viability and environmental impact within your operation
Key Findings
- •Five distinct 'green assets' identified where equines provide unique environmental advantages compared to other agricultural productions
- •Green assets are linked to equine nature (grazing and domestic biodiversity), geographical distribution (land use), and human use (tourism and work)
- •Fragmentation of the equine sector and lack of synthetic knowledge about environmental impacts prevent effective promotion and inclusion in European agricultural policies
- •Equine industry represents a neglected sustainable alternative for addressing modern environmental issues in agriculture