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Changes occurring in dairy goat production systems in less favoured areas of Spain
Abstract
In recent decades there has been a worldwide increase in the intensification process of the livestock sector. This study looks into the changes that have taken place in goat farms in less favoured areas of Spain by comparing the situation of systems in the Northern Sierra of Seville (SNS), a traditional goat farming area in Spain, in the years 2002 and 2008. The information for this study was collected in 2002 and 2008, from a sample of 22 and 23 dairy goat farmers, respectively. A farm survey was conducted, composed of 95 items, grouped into the following sections: animal base, infrastructures and facilities, feeding, reproduction, milk production and animal health. For either of the two years of study a multivariate analysis has been conducted through a multiple correspondence analysis followed by a cluster analysis. Four groups have been identified for each year, showing a diverse range of farms whereby the most intensive farms coexist with those that continue to practise grazing. The following main changes have been observed throughout the study: (i) the herd size is increasing; (ii) the supply of concentrates and straw has increased significantly but use of forage has decreased; (iii) the lactation length has increased; (iv) milking facilities and feed distribution systems have been modernized; and (v) the animal health has substantially improved. Other important changes, although less significant, are the establishment of reproductive groups on the farms, genetic improvement of herds by absorbing the dairy breed Florida and improving goat productivity. Most changes have focused on intensifying the productive systems. Some drivers behind these changes are the loss of grazing as a feed source for goats, acceptable prices for the purchase of feeds during the period studied, the increase in milk demand from industry, EU aids and willingness of the farmers to improve their working conditions. Evolutions of purchase feed and sold milk prices together with EU agricultural policy evolution will determine the future of dairy goat production.
... Level of production and use of natural resources Traditional (meat milk production); Intensive milk production; Permanently indoors; Pasture with different grazing times; Confined; Grazing; Continuous grazing; Seasonal grazing; Transhumance; Use of natural and/or cultivated pastures; Pastoral; and Organic Europe [23,24,34,35,77] Characteristics of raw milk and water used in milking Smallholder dairy farms: Conventional; Traditional; ...
... The previous information allows us to classify DGPSs into two large categories or metasystems: Metasystem 1-those that are developed in completely extensive environments, that is, that do not use any type of nutritional supplementation (i.e., forages and/or concentrates), and Metasystem 2-those that include a certain level of nutritional supplementation, i.e., that DGs may or may not be grazed for a period. This classification makes it possible to cluster the DGPSs according to their productive, technological, and sustainable characteristics, as well as to identify the regions where each system is predominant [23][24][25][26][27]34,35,77]. Moreover, a classification proposal that combines the previous issues will allow for the identification of these differences, the last being of paramount importance for the implementation of public policies, rural development programs, and market strategies adapted to the conditions and needs of each region [25,99]. ...
... This system prioritizes resilience and ecosystem conservation over income maximization, displaying a moderate degree of goat milk production [12,23,26,47,[52][53][54][55]57]. Goat milk and its byproducts are included in a varied diet for self-consumption, while both milk and derivatives are highly appreciated for their nutritional value and for being based on clean, green, and ethical production schemes [77]. Typically, breeds like creole-criollo or indigenous genotypes are crossed with specialized breeds for specific markets, although the focus is on milk production. ...
This review aims to emphasize the important role that goats and dairy goats play for many small-scale rural families worldwide, as well as to introduce a proposal for categorizing the main dairy goat production systems (DGPSs), using a multifactorial approach but emphasizing rainfall and nutritional supplementation level, as the focal categorization factors. The main DGPSs were divided into two metasystems based on available resources, each consisting of three production subsystems. In the first metasystem, the three subsystems have limited water, biotic, and economic resources, whose main economic rationality is based on reducing risk rather than maximizing outputs. In contrast, the three subsystems of the second metasystem usually have increased biotic, economic, and water resources, whose main emphasis involves maximizing product yield rather than reducing risk. The first metasystem involves DGPSs with a very limited or null nutritional supplementation: (a) subsistence, (b) extensive, and (c) agro-silvopastoral. The second metasystem includes those DGPSs with different levels of nutritional supplementation: (d) semi-extensive, (e) semi-intensive, and (f) intensive. There are numerous significant global initiatives focused on scientific collaboration and sharing information regarding nutrition, reproductive, and genetic technologies related to the safety and nutraceutical quality of goat milk and products while contextualized in different DGPSs. Hence, such scenarios should create additional opportunities for researchers, producers, policymakers, and development workers to come together and align interests and needs and exchange knowledge on effective goat farmer support strategies, environmental management, and consumer education. Undoubtedly, it is essential to reevaluate the DGPSs in the world since millions of producers and their families—most of them poor and marginalized—need this species, society needs their products, most of the worldwide arid and semi-arid lands need their recovery, and all of us should encourage the fulfillment of the sustainable development goals.
... A pesar de la heterogeneidad de los modelos de producción existentes, durante la última década, la mayoría de las explotaciones de caprino lechero han experimentado un proceso de profesionalización, que incluye mejoras sanitarias como, por ejemplo, la implementación de programas de saneamiento, la vacunación y la higiene en el proceso de ordeño. El aumento del tamaño de explotación y de la duración de la lactación, la instalación de salas de ordeño modernas y la disminución del pastoreo también son rasgos distintivos de esta profesionalización (Castel et al., 2011). Además, la implementación de programas de mejora genética ha permitido incrementar sustancialmente la productividad de la raza murciano-granadina en la última década (+43 %), alcanzando una media de 586 kg/lactación en la actualidad. ...
... Varios estudios en los que se analizaron las debilidades, amenazas, fortalezas y oportunidades (DAFO) en explotaciones ovinas y caprinas han identificado que la profesionalización y la formación integral de los ganaderos deberían se prioridades para el sector. Para ello resulta necesario la implementación de programas de capacitación y extensión, desarrollo de servicios de asesoramiento, promoción de la innovación y modernización, y mejora de la trazabilidad y comercialización de los productos (Castel et al., 2011;Mena et al., 2017;Pulina et al., 2018y Belanche et al., 2020. En este sentido, la implementación de herramientas de gestión basadas en la GP representa un paso hacia delante hacia la modernización y la profesionalización del sector, haciéndolo más atractivo para generaciones futuras, que garanticen tanto el relevo generacional como los futuros profesionales de un sector floreciente. ...
... En los países desarrollados, el tamaño e intesificación de las explotaciones se han visto incrementados durante las últimas décadas y la mayoría de los rebaños son manejados en grupos de animales considerando valores medios, de forma que la variabilidad entre ellos es frecuentemente considerada como un impedimento para maximizar la economía de escala(Boyazoglu y Morand-Fehr, 2001). Este tipo de manejo en grupos de animales no permite la personalización de cada animal para aprovechar sus particularidades(Castel et al., 2011) y, por lo tanto, maximizar el margen neto de cada uno de ellos. Además, los actuales ganaderos de caprino lechero demandan mejorar sus condiciones laborales en términos de productividad, beneficio económico, profesionalización y dignidad. ...
... The Andalusian goat production has undergone deep changes since the 1980s. The entry into the European Common Market caused important socioeconomic and legislative transformations, and the need to obtain growing volumes of milk per farm led to the intensification of production and the decline of grazing livestock systems (Castel et al., 2011). Grazing goat systems in central-western Andalusia went from being the majority in the 1990s to only 47 % in 2010 (Castel et al., 2010;Mena et al., 2005). ...
... Number of goats Ruiz et al. 2008Ruiz et al. , 2009 Ruiz et al. 2008;Castel et al. 2011;Mena et al. 2017 Percentage of milk produced in autumn Ruiz et al. 2008 Concentrates consumed per goat Ruiz et al. 2008 Fodder consumed per goat Ruiz et al. 2008Ruiz et al. , 2009Castel et al. 2011;Mena et al. 2017 Net energy obtained from grazing Mena et al. 2017 test for possible significant differences among clusters. A Tukey test was carried out to evaluate significant differences between them, in two-totwo comparisons. ...
... Number of goats Ruiz et al. 2008Ruiz et al. , 2009 Ruiz et al. 2008;Castel et al. 2011;Mena et al. 2017 Percentage of milk produced in autumn Ruiz et al. 2008 Concentrates consumed per goat Ruiz et al. 2008 Fodder consumed per goat Ruiz et al. 2008Ruiz et al. , 2009Castel et al. 2011;Mena et al. 2017 Net energy obtained from grazing Mena et al. 2017 test for possible significant differences among clusters. A Tukey test was carried out to evaluate significant differences between them, in two-totwo comparisons. ...
The main characteristic of caprine production in southern Spain is its heterogeneity, which has prevented a proper classification of the different systems. This leads to lack of knowledge and difficulties in the decision-making processes and in the adoption of sectorial strategies. In this context, this article aimed to characterize and classify the different dairy goat systems using autochthonous breeds in Andalusia, according to their feed management practices and productivity. Based on this classification, this work intended to define the technical and economic characteristics of those dairy goat systems by analyzing their differences, performing a comparative analysis of their technical efficiency and assessing the current framework within which the activity takes place. For this purpose, twenty-one farms were monitored during 2018. The technical-economic information obtained allowed the performance of a Cluster Analysis to segregate different groups with common characteristics. Subsequently, an input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis was also performed, followed by a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis. The work carried out made it possible to identify four well-defined dairy goat systems: Pastoral systems; Grazing systems with high feed supply; Indoor systems with associated crops; and Indoor systems without associated crops. They displayed significant differences from a technical-economic point of view, but not in terms of technical efficiency, which was not determined by the production system as such, but by the appropriate management practices implemented in each case. The SWOT analysis revealed the existence of many common elements together with important differences, which justified the use of a specific approach to the reality of each system.
... The animals included in the present study were managed under intensive or stabled systems (16,330 goats; 38 farms), where animals were reared indoors without grazing; and under extensive systems (3445 goats; 11 farms), where goats mainly grazed during spring and summer and were intensively managed (fed with feed and fodder) for the rest of the year. Both systems of production and their main characteristics are described by [24]. ...
... Overall, Florida goats reared under intensive systems present a shorter AFK (21.5 days) than goats reared on extensive farms. This finding reflects the different management strategies between intensive and extensive systems and its influence, especially in feed management, as [24] describes. In this regard, AFK was found to be largely dependent on an adequate nutritional regime [25]. ...
... Although there are numerous factors that can partly explain yearly variations in goat performance traits, the lower AFK found in the second period could be partially related to farmer decisions depending on feed and milk market circumstances during those years. The feed price increase during 2007 to 2008 [42], and its slow recovery over the following years, led many farmers to look for different handling and feeding strategies in order to reduce costs somehow [24], which is probably related to the lower AFK reported in the 2011-2017 period. Moreover, changes in the goats' management, on farms where goats are distributed in reproductive groups and receive feed supplementation, could explain this pattern. ...
The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the production system and other environmental/phenotype factors on age at first kidding (AFK), kidding interval (KI) and prolificacy of 19,772 Florida goats reared between 2000 and 2019 on 49 dairy farms (38 farms intensively managed and 11 extensively managed with grazing). AFK was lower on intensive (490.2 ± 0.9 days; n = 13,345) than on extensive farms (511.7 ± 2.5 days; n = 2357; p < 0.001), and highest during the spring season (533.9 ± 2.7 days; n = 1932; p < 0.001) in both production systems. The average KI was 355.7 ± 0.4 days, mainly varying according to dry period, kidding season and lactation number and kidding type (p < 0.01). A significant interaction between production system, kidding season and dry period was observed with the highest AFK on intensive farms during spring and summer for goats presenting a dry period of up to six months. The overall prolificacy (1.64 ± 0.01) increased in recent years in both systems, and it was affected by the production system, but with different patterns; so, the highest prolificacy of primiparous and multiparous goats was observed on extensive and intensive farms, respectively. Besides that, the prolificacy and other reproductive parameters, such as AFK, significantly increased in the last decade, which could be related to management improvements. Besides that, the existence of inter-annual variations should be considered to compare data between farms and years, and to establish the farms’ objectives according to their production systems and production goals.
... farm, regions, countries and EU). This means that farmers and stakeholders often have limited control over these challenges (Castel et al., 2011). Also, the diversity of livestock, products and level of intensification in the ESRS within and across countries makes the challenges and the identification of feasible solutions difficult (Ruiz-Morales et al., 2019). ...
... This approach ensured that most relevant economic, social, environmental, policy and technical attributes were considered (Paraskevopoulou et al., 2020). Previous analyses of ESRS include the perception of individual stakeholders such as European Commission reports, academic studies focusing on a range of specific issues such as consumer preferences (Montossi et al., 2013), dairy products market (Pulina et al., 2018;Ruiz-Morales et al., 2019), technical-economic performances (Castel et al., 2011;Mena et al., 2017) or describing the sector situation within specific countries (Sossidou et al., 2013). The present study is one of the first international multi-stakeholder participatory diagnoses of the problems and giving particular attention to the views of farmers and farming-related institutions. ...
... Several authors (De Rancourt et al., 2006;Castel et al., 2010;Castel et al., 2011;Montossi et al., 2013;Pulina et al., 2018) proposed different strategies to tackle the economic challenges of the sheep and goat sectors such as: 1) increasing farm size and intensification, 2) decreasing seasonality of production, 3) implementing new technologies in reproduction, management and breeding strategies, 4) promoting feed selfsufficiency, 5) promoting cooperatives and relationships between farmers and food industries and 6) improving product diversification and differentiation. Most of these strategies focus on the economic and technical aspects of farming, and our findings agreed with these studies on the high relevance of economic challenges. ...
The European small ruminants (i.e. sheep and goats) farming sector (ESRS) provides economic, social and environmental benefits to society, but is also one of the most vulnerable livestock sectors in Europe. This sector has diverse livestock species, breeds, production systems and products, which makes difficult to have a clear vision of its challenges through using conventional analyses. A multi-stakeholder and multi-step approach, including 90 surveys, was used to identify and assess the main challenges for the sustainability of the ESRS to prioritize actions. These challenges and actions were identified by ESRS experts including farmers, cooperatives, breeding associations, advisers and researchers of six EU countries and Turkey. From the 30 identified challenges, the most relevant were economy-related challenges such as ‘uncertainty of meat and milk prices’, ‘volatility of commodity prices’, ‘low farm income’, ‘high subsidy dependency’ and ‘uncertainty in future changes in subsidies’ resulting in ‘a sector not attractive to young farmers’. Most of these challenges were beyond the farmer’s control and perceived as difficult to address. Challenges were prioritized using an index, calculated by multiplying the relevance and the feasibility to address measures. The identified challenges had a similar priority index across the whole sector with small differences across livestock species (sheep vs goats), type of products (meat vs dairy) and intensification levels (intensive vs semi-intensive vs extensive). The priorities were different, however, between socio-geographical regions (Southern vs Central Europe). Some of the top prioritized challenges were linked to aspects related to the production systems (‘low promotion of local breeds’ and ‘slow adaptability of high producing breeds’) and market practices (‘unfair trade/lack of traceability’). The majority of the priority challenges, however, were associated with a deficient knowledge or training at farm level (‘poor business management training’, ‘lack of professionalization’, ‘slow adoption of innovations’), academia (‘researchers do not address real problems’) and society as a whole (‘low consumer education in local products’, ‘low social knowledge about farming’, ‘poor recognition of farming public services’). Thus, improved collaboration among the different stakeholders across the food chain with special implication of farmers, associations of producers, academia and governments is needed to facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity building. These actions can contribute to make ESRS economically more sustainable and to adapt the production systems and policy to the current and future societal needs in a more region-contextualized framework.
... In these regions, many of which (including Andalusia) were located in the Mediterranean basin, where arable land is quite limited, food derived from livestock production was very important [16]. Goat rearing, based on grazing and the use of natural resources, was essentially limited to the production of one 30-40 kg kid, as well as cheese for self-consumption [17]. ...
... However, a series of socioeconomic and legislative changes took place following Spain's and other Mediterranean countries entry into the European Common Market, in order to adapt to the European framework. In fact, the strict European legislation on food quality and food security issues and the concern of obtaining growing volumes of milk per farm led to the intensification of production and the decline of grazing livestock systems [17]. As a result, despite the fact that pastoral goat husbandry is nowadays the main feasible economic and productive activity in Mediterranean mountain areas of Spain and elsewhere, where the climatic and soil conditions hinder the development of other agricultural and/or livestock-rearing activities, the above-mentioned process of milk specialization has progressively broken the link between this sector and the territory where it is based. ...
... This part is represented by the traditional meat-producing systems, based on the use of very rustic endangered breeds that are less apt for milking than the rest of the autochthonous Andalusian breeds. Among these breeds, the Blanca Serrana Andaluza or Serrana (hereinafter Blanca Serrana), the Negra Serrana or Castiza (hereinafter, Negra Serrana), and to a lesser extent, the Blanca Celtibérica deserve to be highlighted [17]. In Andalusia, most meat goat farms are located in areas that belong to the Andalusian Network of Protected Natural Areas, mainly in the sierras of Jaen, Granada and Huelva. ...
Traditional meat goat farming systems are characterized by rearing autochthonous breeds and using natural resources through grazing, often within protected natural areas. In a context of reduction of the number of farms, due to the low income derived from the sale of kids, the role of those systems as suppliers of presently non-remunerated ecosystem services becomes more relevant. The objective of this article is to analyze the current situation of those systems, focusing on their connection with human wellbeing, and to formulate proposals that can contribute to guaranteeing their profitability and continuity. A technical-economic and environmental study of a sample of farms and an analysis of the limiting factors affecting the subsector were carried out. As a result, a set of multifactorial problems was identified, with the lack of acknowledgement and remuneration of some services—mainly environmental and cultural—provided by those systems and the low selling price of kids standing as the main threats. The consideration of meat goat farms as “producers of meat of high functional quality and providers of ecosystem services”, which should be properly quantified and remunerated, would contribute to their preservation and guarantee the provision of benefits associated with the activity.
... In the 1990s, due to the European legislation on quality and hygiene standards laid down for milk and milk products ([EU] directives 92/46 and 94/71), the goat sector initiated an in tense mechanization process, especially in the milking systems, which has greatly improved the health status of the herds and milk quality. This was accompanied by intensification of man agement systems and led to a decrease in the number of grazing farms [7]. ...
... Use of confined systems has increased in recent years for different reasons such as entry into force of mandatory regula tions, increase in demand for animal products, lack of available pastures, easier animal husbandry and, sometimes more pro fitability per animal [7]. These systems are characterised by the use of highyielding breeds such as French Saanen and Alpine or the Spanish MurcianoGranadina, Malagueña and Florida. ...
... In Spain, grazing goat systems have undergone a similar intensification and mechanization process to systems rearing other livestock species. The main changes have been milking mechanisation, use of milk cooling tanks, more use of con centrates and reproduction management [7]. Spanish grazing goat farms are located mainly in mountain areas of the South and South East (Figure 2), and in the semiarid areas of the East. ...
The aim of this review is to show the evolution of the dairy goat sector in Europe from all perspectives. Starting from the current situation, the challenges and future potential of this livestock system are presented, as well as strategies to overcome the difficulties faced. Europe holds 1.9% of the world goat population and produces 15.1% of goat milk recorded worldwide. The goat species plays a fundamental economic, social and environmental role in many regions of Europe. The wide diversity of production systems and autochthonous breeds makes the sector very heterogeneous. In order to improve viability, a number of strategies need to be adopted to solve the current problems such as a low profitability, absence of generational change and a little or no recognition of the social and environmental role of the sector. Some strategies to improve the situation of the European goat sector include: i) generating market value that will recognise the diversity of the dairy goat sector (breeds, feeding models, derived products…); ii) promoting and raising awareness of the functional attributes of goat milk and derived products so as to increase consumption; iii) assigning an economic value to environmental and social functions; iv) improving working conditions through technological innovation to make goat farming more attractive to young people; and v) processing more milk into cheese or other dairy products in production areas.
... As a result, domestic goats have traditionally represented an important source of protein through dairy and meat production, contributing to both the food and financial security of households from less favoured rural areas (Aziz, 2010). However, in recent years the dairy goat sector has experienced a rapid intensification in developed countries (Escareño et al., 2012;Gelasakis et al., T 2017) as a result of an increasing demand for goat milk and the scarcity of land for new goat producers due to the competition for other land uses (Castel et al., 2011). Over the last 20 years farms have scaled up their sizes and have incorporated highly automated processes (i.e. ...
... Over the last 20 years farms have scaled up their sizes and have incorporated highly automated processes (i.e. milking, feeding, artificial insemination, etc.) which manage the flock as a whole (Castel et al., 2011). Farmers generally work with average values per group without taking into consideration each animal's particularity, and the inter-animal variation is perceived as an impediment to achieve economies of scale (Boyazoglu and Morand-Fehr, 2001). ...
... However, our modern society has growing demands in terms of food safety, animal health and welfare and environmental concerns (Thornton, 2010), and farmers have rising pressure for increasing productivity, economic viability, professionalization, dignity of labour and sustainability. As a result, there is a need to revisit and update the current production systems (Castel et al., 2011) The application of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF), which relies on the use of forward-thinking technologies to optimize the productivity of each individual animal by taking advantage of the interanimal variability, could represent a step-forward to address these new demands (Wathes et al., 2008). To date, most of the PLF concepts applied to ruminants have mainly focused on very specific aspects of dairy cows such as implementation of automatic milking robots (John et al., 2016), oestrus detection (Mottram, 2016) and prevention of health problems (Bull et al., 1996). ...
Dairy goat production systems in developed countries are experiencing an intensification process in terms of higher farm size, electronic identification, reproductive intensification, genetic selection and milking automation. This new situation generates "big data" susceptible to be used to aid farmers during the decision making process. This case study describes how the farm management can be improved by the use of the "Eskardillo", a tool with a smart-phone terminal which relies on three principles: i) systematic individual data recording (milking control, productivity, genetic merit, morphology, phylogeny, etc.), ii) big data processing and interpretation and iii) interactive feedback to the farmer to optimize farm management. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Eskardillo tool by monitoring the productive parameters from 2013 to 2016 in 12 conventional Murciano-Granadina dairy goat farms which implemented the Eskardillo (ESK) in late 2014. Moreover, 12 conventional farms without Eskardillo were also monitored as control farms (CTL). Results demonstrated that ESK farms were able to better monitor the productivity and physiological stage of each animal and Eskardillo allowed selecting animals for breeding, replacement or culling according to each animal's records. As a result, goats from ESK farms decreased their unproductive periods such as the first partum age (−30 days), and the dry period length (−20 days) without negatively affecting milk yield per lactation. This study revealed an acceleration in the milk yield in ESK farms since this innovation was implemented (+26 kg / lactation per year) in comparison to the situation before (+7.3) or in CTL farms (+6.1). Data suggested that this acceleration in milk yield in ESK farms could rely on i) a greater genetic progress as a result of a more knowledgeable selection of high merit goats, ii) the implementation of a more effective culling off strategy based on the production, reproductive and health records from each animal, and iii) the optimization of the conception timing for each animal according to its physiological stage and milk yield prospects to customize lactation length while keeping a short and constant dry period length (2 months). Moreover, this study demonstrated a decrease in the sea-sonality throughout the year in terms of percentage of animals in milking and milk yield allowing an increment in the production of off-season milk (+17%) since Eskardillo was applied. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that the implementation of the Eskardillo tool can be considered a useful strategy to optimize farm management and to contribute to the sustainable intensification of modern dairy goat farms.
... In any case, tests were also performed using a hierarchical cluster analysis, and the results were identical (three clusters were obtained). For a larger number of clusters, the ANOVA significance level is greater than 0.05 for at least one of the principal components [22,32,35,36]. ...
... Currently, there are hardly any references to the productive organization of bovine cattle in Cundinamarca (Colombia). However, the volume of information obtained from the regional or national administration of the Colombian government can be considered sufficiently representative for characterizing and illustrating the cattle production systems in this region [2,36]. In order to specify more precisely the animal production systems in Colombia, the present study has been carried out regarding the bovine production systems (dual-purpose, dairy and beef) used in the Department of Cundinamarca, where producers provide raw materials (milk or fat cattle) to the markets of the cities or towns. ...
The aim of this document is to analyze the bovine production systems in the Department of Cundinamarca (Colombia) as an initial part of the strategic plan to implement sustainable and efficient technological proposals in this region of the Andes. Descriptive and productive agricultural data related to bovine production of the 116 municipalities were analyzed using a multivariate analysis method (principal component, cluster and variance analysis). The information contained quantitative variables regarding three topics: general information (geographical, cadastral and productive), a municipal bovine inventory, and productive information about the cattle farms. The analysis enabled us to generate three clusters of bovine production systems as follows: Cluster 1, representative of the dual-purpose activity, made up of 48 medium-climate municipalities, of which 64.6% of the municipal farms correspond to dual-purpose production with an average farm size of 5.2 ha, a carrying capacity of 1.2 UGM/ha and milk production per cow of 7.75 L/d; Cluster 2, made up of 36 cold-climate municipalities dedicated mainly to dairy production on farms (65.9%) of approximately 3.8 ha, with a carrying capacity of 2.3 UGM/ha and milk production per cow of 14.34 L/d.; and Cluster 3, made up of 32 warm-climate municipalities dedicated mainly to beef production on farms. In this cluster, 66.6% of the farms correspond to beef production of approximately 8.5 ha, with a carrying capacity of 1.2 UGM/ha and milk production of 6.35 L/d. Colombia’s climatic diversity and the wide range of bovine livestock activities are among the main strengths that make up the system’s advantages. However, the low technological development in the majority of the bovine livestock farms, which is related to variables such as low carrying capacity, as in Clusters 1 and 3 and with the low employment generated by bovine production in Colombia, are opportunities to improve the livestock industry. It is advisable to continue working to obtain data on important aspects of the system such as technology, nutrition, reproductive management (including artificial insemination), the economy and environmental and social aspects, in order to delve deeper into the sustainability of productive systems.
... These results differed from those reported in previous studies [19], possibly due to the decrease in the sheep population in Spain from 2013 to the present day [1]. Conversely, the high proportion of goat herds with fewer than 500 animals found in our survey was consistent with previous studies carried out in southern Spain [34,35]. Additionally, the distribution based on aptitude (meat production in sheep: 92.5% and exclusively milk production in goats) has been previously reported [1,18]. ...
... Additionally, the distribution based on aptitude (meat production in sheep: 92.5% and exclusively milk production in goats) has been previously reported [1,18]. As feeding type is associated with production modality, most sheep were fed with forage and concentrate, which is linked to extensive management [18,19,35], while the use of TMR is associated with dairy production, which has intensified in recent years [34,35]. Consistent with previous studies [18,35], the main activity of the farms surveyed in our study was dedicated exclusively to sheep, often with only a single species of livestock. ...
Simple Summary
This study investigates the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminant farms (159 sheep and 39 goats) in southern Spain, a key area for the country’s livestock production. This research reveals that Eimeria spp. Is the most common parasitic infection, followed by Strongyles. Other parasites, like Moniezia spp., Trichuris spp., and D. dendriticum, are less prevalent but more common in sheep. This study also includes a survey on farmers’ management practices, highlighting that regular monitoring through coprological analyses is not common; veterinarians are seldom involved in deworming plans, and anthelmintic treatment is typically applied twice a year in sheep and once in goats. This report suggests that implementing certain management measures could potentially mitigate parasite infections. This constitutes the first report on the epidemiological status of gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants in southern Spain.
Abstract
The primary population of small ruminants in Spain is concentrated in the southern region, a critical area for the country’s livestock production. Indirect economic losses can occur when this livestock is affected by gastrointestinal parasites. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of these parasites in small ruminant herds (159 sheep and 39 goats) through coprological analyses and conducted a survey on farmers’ management practices related to gastrointestinal parasite control. The survey results revealed some important aspects: monitoring through coprological analyses is not a common practice; veterinarians are not typically involved in deworming plans; anthelmintic treatment in adults is often applied twice a year in sheep and once a year in goats; and finally, drug rotation was higher in sheep farms. Coprological analyses showed Eimeria spp. as the most common parasitic infection, followed by Strongyles infection. Other parasites like Moniezia spp., Trichuris spp., and D. dendriticum were less important, although their prevalence was higher in sheep than goats. This constitutes the first report on the epidemiological status of gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants in southern Spain. Based on the survey findings, the introduction of certain management measures on farms could potentially mitigate parasite infections.
... The selection of highly productive breeds such as the Alpine and Saanen breeds, and at a lower extent, the Anglo-Nubian, Toggenburg and in Spain, Murciana Granadina or Malagueña breeds has favored this dairy specialization. Many studies have characterized these production systems, the National sectors and their dynamics (Mena et al. 2017;Castel, et al. 2011;Castel, et al., 2009;Morales-Jerrett et al. 2022;Pulina et al. 2019;Hostiou et al. 2020). The dairy goat specialized model was largely based on the purchase of high quantities of concentrates and high quality forages and rationing technology to feed very demanding animals (Lorent et al., 2009). ...
... In pastoral systems, pastoral resources are scarce and very seasonal. Although local goat breeds are well adapted to browse shrubs and ligneous bushes, shepherds often purchase high amounts of concentrates or hay, they buy in other regions to increase milk production and produce more cheese (Castel et al., 2011). Consequently, the forage autonomy of these systems has decreased and at a large extent, the farmers do not mobilize anymore the management practices of herds, to use the pastoral resources. ...
... These five countries account for over 82% of the goats in the EU. Although the goat sector's contribution to total livestock production is very low, goats are essential in large areas of Mediterranean Europe to maintain the natural landscape, particularly of farmland considered to have a high natural value, and to generate income that improves the financial livelihood of farmers in depressed areas [1]. ...
... Questionnaire on the consumers' sociodemographic variables, purchasing and eating habits, and importance of extrinsic and extrinsic meat attributes. Questions about the perception of kid meat 4 Kid meat is more expensive than lamb meat Kid meat is healthier than lamb meat Kid meat is taster than lamb meat Kid meat contains more fat than lamb meat I prefer kids being fed by natural milking rather than artificial milking I prefer heavier kids to light kids I would like to eat more kid meat than I consume now I don't eat more kid meat because I don't see it in the supermarket I would like to buy kid meat from a quality brand I would pay more for kid meat from a quality brand Taste of meat Amount of fat in the meat 1 Open-ended question; 2 dichotomic answer; 3 from 0 to 14 (two meals/seven days); 4 seven-point Likert scale from "totally disagree" (1) to "totally agree" (7); 5 five-point Likert scale from "not important" (1) to "very important" (5). ...
Simple Summary
The type of goat kid meat that is consumed in countries of the Mediterranean basin belongs to very young animals with little fat. Despite being a healthy meat from a nutritional point of view, its consumption is not very common. In this study, after conducting surveys with a number of different families, we evaluated goat kid meat using a home test sensory analysis. Despite the meat obtaining high scores during sensory analysis, there is often considerable ignorance about the factors that affect the production of this type of animal, especially in young people and in areas where consumption of this meat is uncommon. For this reason, it is important to show its value and to improve production and profitability in the primary sector, carrying out specific marketing work to target the different clusters obtained in the study.
Abstract
The goat meat preferred by consumers in Spain comes from suckling goat kids, slaughtered at a live weight of 8–10 kg. However, consumption of this meat is very uncommon, so it is necessary to show its value. To achieve this, we planned to investigate consumers’ perceptions about goat kid meat and to study whether their perceptions are related to their sensory appraisal of the meat, measured by the mean of the consumers’ home tests. The experiment was conducted with 30 volunteer families (from two cities with different consumption patterns), who were surveyed regarding their sociodemographic parameters, purchasing and eating habits, and the importance of the meat’s attributes. As a result, four clusters were obtained, which were labeled “negative,” “idealistic,” “positive,” and “concerned about fat content”. The parameters of the animal production system were valued differently by the clusters. Meat tenderness, taste, and amount of fat were considered very decisive factors by most respondents. When the goat kid meat was valued, tenderness was considered more important than taste among older people (“negative” cluster), whereas there was not so much difference between the appraisal of all parameters for the other three clusters. We conclude that it is necessary to improve the information received by consumers about goat production systems and meat quality parameters. There is certainly potential for creating new markets, especially targeted toward young consumers and considering specific strategies for the different groups of consumers, depending on the region and habits of consumption.
... In this regard, economic performance and factors associated with the profitability of dairy sheep farms are of significant interest to LFAs. Several studies have been carried out on this topic [2,[13][14][15]. In Greece, however, such studies are limited and, in all cases, farming system specific. ...
... Several studies support that sheep and goat farming intensification and larger flock sizes could improve farm profitability and help achieve higher efficiency levels while also covering high consumer demands for small ruminants' dairy products [3,12,14,[26][27][28]. Theodoridis et al. [3] and Ragkos et al. [16] reported that larger dairy sheep flocks in Greece were associated with higher technical efficiency levels. ...
Dairy sheep farming is a significant agricultural sector in Mediterranean countries, providing income and employment opportunities in less-favoured areas (LFAs). The economic performance of dairy sheep farms is of significant interest to LFAs. However, relevant literature is scarce. The objectives here were to evaluate the economic performance of dairy sheep farms in LFAs of Greece and perform a comparative analysis based on flock size and farming system. In total, 19 and 26 dairy sheep farms for two production periods were used. Farm technical (flock size, production, grazing and nutritional management) and economic (income and variable costs) data were collected. The economic performance of farms was estimated using Happy Goats, a decision support tool for small ruminant farming. Estimated economic parameters were analysed by flock size (≤150 ewes vs. >150 ewes) and farming system (intensive/semi-intensive vs. semi-extensive). Results showed that 37% and 31% of farms were operating with losses in each production period, respectively. Based on nutritional management, ewes produced about 50 kg less milk per milking period. Smaller and semi-extensive farms had significantly (p < 0.05) lower incomes and variable costs. A significantly (p < 0.05) lower average gross margin was reported for smaller compared to larger farms. Results suggest a better economic perspective for larger flock sizes.
... This intensification has included improvements in the animals' health due to the systematic implementation of health and vaccination programs and improved milking hygiene. The overall farm structure also has been modified with increased flock size, lactation length and milking automatization, as well as a decrease in grazing practices (Castel et al., 2011). Similarly, the successful implementation of breeding programs in several local breeds is facilitating the increase in milk production per lactation (ARCA, 2021) making them more competitive globally (average production of 586, 557 and 502 kg/lactation for Murciano-Granadina, Florida, and Malagueña breeds, respectively). ...
... Each animal was therefore managed as an individual given the inherent diversity among them. Despite in recent years the dairy goat sector has experiences a rapid intensification in developed countries (Pulina et al., 2018), most farmers still continue managing the flock as a whole (Castel et al., 2011). Farmers generally work with average values per group of animals without taking into consideration each animal's particularities, and the inter-animal variation is perceived as an impediment to achieve economies of scale (Boyazoglu and Morand-Fehr, 2001). ...
... In recent decades, goat farms have specialised in milk production for the cheese industry, particularly in economically developed countries in Mediterranean Europe (Castel et al., 2011). In the European Union, Spain has the second highest number of goats (3.1 million head), with Andalusia (in southern Spain) being the region with the largest herd (FAO, 2017). ...
... To achieve greater milk yields, farmers have increased the supply of concentrates fed to goats, thus reducing or even eliminating pasture as a feed source. The demand for cereals and other grains for animal feeding increases the price of concentrate (Castel et al., 2011). This justifies the need to decrease the alimentation cost of livestock by developing strategies, such as greater dependence on local feed resources, which would increase the sustainability of livestock production systems (López et al., 2014). ...
Although dried orange pulp ( DOP ) may conveniently replace cereals in ruminant diets, few studies have considered similar diet substitution for goats. We hypothesised that DOP could replace cereal-based concentrate in goat diets without detrimental effects on growth performance and carcass quality of suckling kids and milk performance and blood biochemical parameters of dams in early lactation. We also hypothesised that DOP substitution may increase the levels of antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds and vitamin E, in milk and improve its total antioxidant capacity ( TAC) . Therefore, 44 primiparous Payoya dairy goats were allocated to three experimental groups, each fed a different diet: control (CD, n = 14) based on a commercial concentrate with alfalfa hay as forage; and DOP40 ( n = 16) in which 40% and DOP80 ( n = 14) in which 80% of the cereal in the concentrate were replaced by DOP. The experiment lasted from the final month of pregnancy to 55 days postpartum . The DOP diets did not affect suckling kids’ carcass quality, but at 28 days, led to improvement in live weight ( LW ) and average daily gain ( ADG ) from birth, although no differences were found between DOP40 and DOP80 (for CD, DOP40 and DOP80, LW at 28 days was 8.00, 8.58 and 8.34 kg and ADG was 184, 199 and 195 g/day, respectively). Diet had no significant effect on milk yield (average daily milk yield and total yield at 55 days were 1.66 l/day and 90.6 l, respectively) and commercial and fatty acid composition. Nevertheless, α-tocopherol, total phenolic compound ( TPC ) and TAC concentration in milk increased with substitution of cereals by DOP (for CD, DOP40 and DOP80, concentration of α-tocopherol was 21.7, 32.8 and 42.3 μg/100 g, TPCs was 63.5, 84.1 and 102 mg gallic acid equivalents/l, and TAC was 6.63, 11.1 and 12.8 μmol Trolox equivalents/ml, respectively). Every plasma biochemistry parameter considered was within reference values for healthy goats; therefore, no pathological effect was detected for these variables due to dietary treatment. However, DOP diets caused a reduction in plasmatic creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase, implying reduced oxidative damage to muscles. In conclusion, DOP may be an interesting alternative to cereals in early lactation goat diets for increasing farmers’ income and the healthy antioxidant capacity of milk.
... After the PCA, the farms were classified by k-means CA according to the PCs obtained (Hair et al., 1998;Lesschen et al., 2005;Castel et al., 2011). The authors were very well acquainted with this livestock system and considered that the k-means CA was more suitable than the hierarchical analysis (Madry et al., 2013), which was also conducted but the results have not been included. ...
... However, this is high in comparison to the goat farms of other Spanish mountain zones where animals are specialized in milk production and kid towards the end of the autumn and have a longer milking period than the goats in this study (e.g. Castel et al., 2011). ...
Aim of study: To characterize and analyse the extensive livestock farming systems in environmental protected area and propose strategies for their sustainable improvement.
Area of study: Sierra Nevada Protected Area (Spain)
Material and methods: Data were collected from a sample of 85 farmers and 48 experts. The information from farmers was expressed in 35 variables, 23 of which were qualitative and 12 quantitative. A multivariate analysis was conducted.
Main results: The principal components explained 71.2% of the total variance and the k-means cluster analysis identified three groups: C1 (38 farms), medium-size farms with a predominance of goats and relative dairy specialization; C2 (12 farms), large-size farms with extensive grazing lands, a high proportion of meat purpose animals and managed by young and dynamic farmers and C3 (35 farms), medium-size farms with a high proportion of meat purpose animals and undeveloped business management. The main problems reported were: insufficient pastures for livestock, stagnation of product prices, lack of generational renewal and need for social recognition of livestock farming. These obstacles could be overcome by implementing measures aimed at improving feed self-sufficiency -and thus reduce production costs- increasing income through social recognition of farming, achieving product differentiation, and strengthening short marketing channels. This would be favoured by an increase in associationism and specialized training.
Research highlights: Farm management and marketing are important for improve these farming systems. The extensive livestock farming continues to be an important activity in European protected mountain areas.
... But the mean SR of the farms that use communal pastures of the NPSG (0.21 LU/ha) is higher than the average of 0.13 LU/ha shown by Rodríguez-Estévez et al. [4] for all the organic farms in the NPSG (n = 67). This could be evidence for the current tendency of dairy farms to rapid intensification [54]. In general, extensive dairy goat farms are more dependent on feed for a better milk yield, therefore they should either reduce their workforce costs or better sell their products [28], whether directly transformed, organically certified or both. ...
... Thus, Toro-Mujica et al. [22] found that the profits of the organic dairy sheep farms of Castilla-La Mancha were lower (4 €/ha) due to their higher costs of feed (less grazing and more supplementary feeding) and their high investment in infrastructure and equipment. However, in recent years there has been a remarkable decrease in grazing in goat systems, leading to rapid intensification; and in the case of dairy herds there has been a high evolution towards "false grazing systems", whereby the animals graze daily but most of their nutritional requirements are covered by forage and concentrates given in the stable [54]. This scenario would be a problem for the conservation of the NPSG communal pastures and its grazing systems, losing its environmental sustainability. ...
This paper describes the typological characterization of the Natural Park Sierra de Grazalema (NPSG) livestock farms using its communal pastures (N = 23, 100% of population) in order to study their sustainability from 160 technical, economic and social variables (from direct on-farm data collection). A principal components analysis (PCA) produced four principal components related to size, livestock species, main productions and intensification level, explaining 73.6% of the variance. The subsequent cluster analysis classified the farms into four groups: C1 (medium size farms without sheep), C2 (large size and very extensive farms), C3 (farms with multipurpose sheep) and C4 (farms with dairy goat and without cattle). Forty-eight-point-seven percent of the surface was registered as organic but none of the farms’ commercialized products were organic. C2 and C3 (both having three ruminant species) are those farms that have more economic differences, the former generating the lowest profit, and the latter generating the highest; however, there is a risk to grasslands conservation from the current tendency that leads dairy farms to rapid intensification. Nevertheless, the very extensive farms are the most interesting for NPSG conservation and the administration should help to maintain the profitability of this sustainable traditional activity, which is necessary to conserve communal pastures.
... Os caprinos são estão classificados com selecionadores intermediários (Van Soest, 1994) e graças às suas características naturais, a cabra é capaz de adaptação a diferentes sistemas e ambientes agrícolas (Castel et al., 2011). Contudo, a alimentação de caprinos ainda é um desafio, dietas ricas em carboidratos não fibrosos (CNF) podem favorecer distúrbios metabólicos como a acidose ruminal subaguda (ARSA) nesses animais. ...
A revisão aborda a aplicação da análise multivariada no monitoramento da nutrição de ruminantes, destacando técnicas como a Análise de Componentes Principais (ACP), a Análise Fatorial (AF) e a Análise de Correlações Canônicas (ACC). Essas técnicas simplificam a interpretação de dados complexos ao identificar grupos de variáveis com características semelhantes e auxiliar na compreensão da microbiota ruminal, fermentação e interação com a nutrição. Exemplos práticos incluem o uso da ACP para estudar a diversidade bacteriana e o efeito de diferentes dietas sobre o rúmen, além de análises que visam a redução da emissão de metano e a melhora na eficiência alimentar dos ruminantes.
... In the last decades, there has been a gradual regression of traditional pastured-based systems in Spain (Manzano Baena and Casas 2010), accompanied by an intensification of livestock production toward systems with a high dependence on external feeds (Pardos et al. 2008;Castel et al. 2011;Ríos-Núñez et al. 2013;Lassaletta et al. 2014). This process has contributed to important ecological and socio-economic changes, such as woody encroachment of unfavorable marginal lands, or the abandonment of rural areas (Bernués et al. 2005), and with negative consequences on biodiversity (Plieninger et al. 2014). ...
Purpose
Transhumance has rarely been analyzed through LCA approaches, and there is little evidence about its emissions level when conducted under different practices (by truck or on foot) or compared to sedentary livestock systems. Moreover, mobile pastoralism is strongly linked to natural resources by its seasonal grazing patterns, thereby occupying the niche of wild herbivores. Considering natural emission baselines in these ecosystems could have relevant effects when estimating their carbon footprint.
Materials and methods
Inventory data of 20 sheep farms was collected to estimate the carbon footprint (CF) of lamb meat produced. Farms were divided into three sub-groups representing typical management practices in the region: (1) sedentary (SED), (2) transhumance by truck (THT), and (3) transhumance on foot (THF). Livestock GHG emissions were modeled according to herd structure and IPCC guidelines. Off-farm emissions from external feeds and fuels were accounted based on existent LCA databases. A natural baseline of wild herbivores was established from the population of red deer reported in a hunting preserve, previously considered to be a reference for the natural carrying capacity in Mediterranean ecosystems. GHG emissions of wild herbivores were estimated through two methods based on (1) IPCC guidelines and (2) allometric regression equations.
Results and discussion
Carbon footprint ranged from 16.5 up to 26.9 kgCO2-eq/kg of lamb liveweight (LW). Significant differences were identified among sedentary and transhumant farms, the latter consistently showing lower CF values (SED: 25.1 kg CO2-eq/kg LW, THT: 18.3 kg CO2-eq/kg LW, THF: 18.2 kg CO2-eq/kg LW). Sedentary farms resulted in higher GHG emissions (+ 27%) and higher CO2 and N2O, contributions derived from the consumption of additional feeds. Both methods applied to compute emissions for wild herbivores led to similar results (25.3–26.8 Mg CO2-eq/km²), comparatively lower than estimation for transhumant sheep (47.7 Mg CO2-eq/km²). When considering natural baseline emissions, the CF of transhumant lamb meat is reduced by almost 30%, reaching values quite below those reported for intensive lamb production systems in Spain.
Conclusions
From our results, mobility of grazing livestock can be considered as a strategy promoting climate change mitigation. This is achieved mainly by reducing the need of external feeds, while maximizing the use of local forage resources that otherwise would be difficult to valorize. Further reductions in the CF result when considering natural baseline emissions. The application of this new GHG accounting perspective could have relevant implications when aiming at climate neutrality of grazing-based ruminant systems.
... Concerning those of animal origin, it is accepted that animal diet can affect their quality [2][3][4][5]; in particular, foods produced by grazing ruminants are recognized by nearly all consumers, and farmers themselves, as high-quality foods [6]. On the other hand, dairy specialization and intensive farming have brought about an increase in the use of concentrates, thus reducing or even eliminating pasture as a feed source in many countries [7]. Indeed, in some areas like the tropics, there is still an abundant source of natural grasses and leguminous trees, that allows to feed cows in silvopasture environments, thus producing high quality milk [8]. ...
... LFAs account for 70% of total sheep and goat production in the EU. In these areas, sheep and goat farming is an important economic activity that supports rural development and entails preserving livestock, pastures and biodiversity, and the prevention of erosion Sheep and goats are highly adaptive animals and can adapt to different natural environments and enterprise types (Castel et al., 2011). ...
There have been many different agricultural support tools varying by countries. These agricultural support tools are determined according to different indicators such as the policies, expectations, regions, and economic levels of the countries and may differ from each other. One of these agricultural support tools is Less Favoured Area (LFAs) that has been applied for a long time. Turkey has many geographically different regions and many different agricultural support tools like those in the other counties However, considering the EU full membership process policies, a specified support tool for the LFAs, which are widely used in the EU, has not been implemented in Turkey. Mersin province is one of the areas where that is an issue and so was selected for this study. The province has a dual structure, with high mountains (Taurus) and wide plains. People in the mountainous areas make a living from animal production, especially goat breeding. The study framework was based on the logistic regression model, which was compared farmers' descriptive statistics and socio-economic features in villages in the mountainous/semi-mountainous areas and on the plains of Mersin province. Farmers’ intentions for land allocation and livestock and their migration tendencies were analysed in different scenarios. Age, experience, number of small ruminants, land size and credit usage were found to have a statistically significant effect on farmers’ decisions about continuing farming. Their decisions changed across the policy scenarios provided, and a policy that considers regional differences was found to be significant in their decisions. The paper shows agricultural support policies should consider regional differences to compensate for income losses due to physical conditions.
... In the last decades, there has been a gradual regression of traditional pastured-based systems in Spain (Manzano Baena and Casas 2010), accompanied by an intensi cation of livestock production towards systems with a high dependence on external feeds (Pardos et al. 2008;Castel et al. 2011;Ríos-Núñez et al. 2013; Lassaletta et al. 2014). This process has contributed to important ecological and socioeconomic changes, such as woody encroachment of unfavorable marginal lands, or the abandonment of rural areas (Bernués et al. 2005), and with negative consequences on biodiversity (Plieninger et al. 2014). ...
Purpose Transhumance has rarely been analyzed through LCA approaches, and there is little evidence about its emissions level when conducted under different practices (by truck or on hoof), or compared to static/sedentary livestock systems. Moreover, mobile pastoralism is strongly linked to natural resources by its seasonal grazing patterns, thereby occupying the niche of wild herbivores. Considering natural emission baselines in these ecosystems could have relevant effects when estimating their carbon footprint.
Materials and methods Inventory data of 21 sheep farms was collected in order to estimate the carbon footprint (CF) of lamb meat produced. Farms were divided in 3 sub-groups representing typical management practices in the region: i) static (STAT), ii) transhumance by truck (THT) and iii) transhumance on hoof (THH). Livestock GHG emissions were modelled according to herd structure and IPCC guidelines. Off-farm emissions from external feeds and fuels were accounted based on existent LCA databases. A natural baseline of wild herbivores was established from the population of red deer reported in a hunting preserve, previously considered to be a reference for the natural carrying capacity in Mediterranean ecosystems. GHG emissions of wild herbivores were estimated through two methods based on: i) IPCC guidelines, and ii) allometric regression equations.
Results and discussion Carbon footprint ranged from 16.4 up to 30.6 kgCO2eq per kg of lamb liveweight (LW). Significant differences were identified among static and transhumant farms, which consistently showed lower CF values (STAT: 26.3 kgCO2eq/kg LW, THT: 18.1 kg CO2eq/kg LW, THH: 18.1 kg CO2eq/kg LW). Static farms resulted in higher GHG emissions (+31%) and higher CO2 and N2O, contributions derived from the consumption of additional feeds. Both methods applied to compute emissions for wild herbivores led to similar results (25.3-26.8 Mg CO2eq/km²), comparatively lower than estimation for transhumant sheep (47.7 Mg CO2eq/km²). When considering natural baseline emissions, the CF of transhumant lamb meat is reduced by almost 30%, reaching values quite below those reported for intensive lamb production systems in Spain.
Conclusions From our results, mobility of grazing livestock can be considered as a strategy promoting climate change mitigation. This is achieved mainly by reducing the need of external feeds, while maximizing the use of local forage resources that otherwise would be difficult to valorize. Further reductions in the CF result when considering natural baseline emissions. The application of this new GHG accounting perspective could have relevant implications when aiming at climate neutrality of grazing-based ruminant systems.
... The extensive system is predominant in hilly areas with low rainfall, with degr aded and seasonal rangelands, fodder shrubs, and occasional stubble. Recently, this system has given way to a semi-intensive system in family enterprises with sheep enclosure at night, and concentrated supplementation according to the level of production (Castel et al., 2011). In Greece, sheep, as well as goats, are important Enterprises, especially in mountainous regions that are considered less favorable for sustainable agricultural activities. ...
Despite its socio-economic role in Tunisia, the goat has been considered as an agent of natural resource degradation due to the excessive exploitation of forests and rangelands. Currently goat farms are beginning to regain interest in different Tunisian climatic conditions. Goat breeding is distributed throughout the territory, particularly in the mountain areas, natural rangelands and southern oases. The main systems encountered are (i) systems integrated into farms, (ii) livestock systems in mountainous and forest regions, (iii) oasis ecosystems and (iv) transhumant livestock systems. These farming modes are influenced by developments in agricultural systems in general, which change due to socio-economic development and are dependent on the availability of funding through national projects. In North African countries in general, transhumant pastoral systems dominate arid and semi-arid zones and are characterized by the seasonality of food resources, which are tightly influenced by rainfall. Extensive pastoral farming, mixed with sheep in regions with a dry climate and limited water resources, is the most widespread. Goat farming is a form of savings rather than an economic activity. Concerning the majority of Mediterranean countries; the existing farming systems reveal the importance of socio-territorial unity and available natural resources. The classification of goat farming systems is based on the resources used (natural rangelands or crop residues), the intensity of resource use (extensive or intensive), the types of livestock breeders (nomadic or sedentary), or the product generated and it's quality. The dominant systems in the European countries of the northern Mediterranean shore are farms oriented to the production of goat's milk intended for the manufacture of cheeses.
... Consequently, many dairy goat farms have evolved, from traditional low producing grazing systems to more intensive production systems with high-dependence on external feeds, scaling up their size, and implementing a number of innovations (e.g. automated milking, milk control, artificial insemination, health programs) in order to increase their productivity (Castel et al., 2011). ...
The implementation of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) concepts has been pointed out as an indirect strategy that could potentially help mitigating the environmental impacts of livestock production systems. To date, few studies have focused on analyzing specifically the relationship among PLF adoption and environmental performance, so sustainability benefits have not yet been quantified for many technologies. Moreover, studies evaluating the environmental impact of dairy production have traditionally focused on cattle, and when exploring sheep or goats, they have often involved extensive, low-productive systems, providing an incomplete picture of the sector.In this study we apply life cycle assessment (LCA) to analyze the environmental impact associated to intensive dairy goat production, and to explore the influence of adopting a smart-farming PLF platform on the environmental performance of a group of dairy goat farms in Spain. The PLF-platform relies on systematic on-farm monitoring of individual animal data, coupled with big data processing and interpretation, which supports farmers to take adequate -and timely-farm management decisions. In order to capture its influence, two different periods were analyzed in five selected farms: a baseline year just before innovation was implemented (2014) and four years after (2018), when most of the effect of improved management was reflected. Results after the PLF-platform implementation showed significant reductions (−11%) in greenhouse gas emissions and similar trends in other impact categories (9–16% reductions). The PLF platform provided a precise monitoring of the productivity, genetic merit and physiological state of each animal, allowing adequate criteria for a number of decision-making processes, such as selecting animals for breeding, replacement or culling. This optimization led to an increase in the genetic selection progress, ultimately reflected on milk productivity. Moreover, a reduction of unproductive periods such as first partum age or dry period length was often achieved. As a result of this general improvement, the efficiency of resource usage in relation to milk (and meat) production was increased, with positive effect on the environmental performance. Production of 1 kg of fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM) resulted in 1.53–1.71 kg CO2 eq. Results in other impacts categories were also in a similar range than previously reported values for highly productive dairy systems, including dairy cattle, which stresses the important role that small ruminant farming can play on environmentally sustainable livestock production, particularly in the Mediterranean context.
... The value of sustainability is rising, especially in its environmental aspects, which large food chains have begun to use in advertising since it is highly valued by consumers. Thus, strategic actions are necessary to enhance farms' viability and profitability [8], including reasonable income levels for the farmers. ...
The effects of Payoya kid feeding systems on the fat-soluble vitamin (retinol/α-tocopherol) contents, fat content, fat color, and the oxidation index were evaluated to determine their potential for use as feeding system traceability tools. Four groups of Payoya kids (55 animals in total) fed milk exclusively were studied: a group fed a milk replacer (MR) and three groups fed natural milk from dams reared with different management systems (mountain grazing (MG), cultivated meadow (CM) and total mixed ration (TMR)). Kids were slaughtered around one month of age and 8 kg of live weight. Kids from the MG and CM groups presented lower retinol (5.56 and 3.72 µg/mL) and higher α-tocopherol plasma (11.43 and 8.85 µg/mL) concentrations than those from the TMR and MR groups (14.98 and 22.47 µg/mL of retinol; 2.49 and 0.52 µg/mL of α-tocopherol, respectively) (p < 0.001). With respect to fat, kids with a higher intramuscular fat percentage (CM and TMR groups) had lower retinol contents (16.52 and 15.99 µg/mL, respectively) than kids from the MG and MR groups (26.81 and 22.63 µg/mL, respectively) (p < 0.001). A dilution effect of vitamins on fat was shown: the higher the amount of fat, the lower the vitamin concentrations, the higher the lipid oxidation index (MDA), and the lower the SUM (absolute value of the integral of the translated spectra between 450 and 510 nm). A discriminant analysis that included all studied variables showed that 94.4% of the kids were classified correctly according to their feeding system and could allow traceability to the consumer.
... Concerning those of animal origin, it is accepted that animal diet can affect their quality [2][3][4][5]; in particular, foods produced by grazing ruminants are recognized by nearly all consumers, and farmers themselves, as high-quality foods [6]. On the other hand, dairy specialization and intensive farming have brought about an increase in the use of concentrates, thus reducing or even eliminating pasture as a feed source in many countries [7]. Indeed, in some areas like the tropics, there is still an abundant source of natural grasses and leguminous trees, that allows to feed cows in silvopasture environments, thus producing high quality milk [8]. ...
... In order to build these models, the first step would be to establish various groups of farms and ascertain the impact that the various variables have on them. In this sense, the clustering of sheep farms in extensive systems has been previously addressed by several authors (Castel et al., 2011;Gaspar et al., 2008;Gelasakis et al., 2012;Mądry et al., 2013;Riveiro et al., 2013;Ruiz et al., 2008), who pointed at its importance for decision-making. amongst the variables studied, it can highlighted the following ones: farm area, rented area, labour and the degree of dependence on off-farm food (supplementation). ...
The need to produce safe food products for an ever-growing world population while
reducing the impact on climate change makes it necessary for the farm business to
combine productivity and sustainability. As more efficient and sustainable production
systems need to be developed for this purpose, the creation of new instruments that
allow the management of farms and provide information to contribute to their evolution
and improvement becomes more relevant. The main goal of this paper is to assess a
model to be used as a decision-making tool in a meat sheep cooperative group in
southwest Spain. The methodology is structured in three stages: (i) creation of a
model, (ii) identification of representative farms and (iii) model assessment. The model
is applied to representative farms obtained from a cluster analysis. A simulation of the
model is performed taking into account profitability variables under different stocking
rate and weather scenarios. The outcomes of the model show that farmers may try to
maximize the profitability per hectare adjusting their stoking rate to average weather
scenarios. In a climate change framework this model could be a useful tool to assess
extensive sheep farms, as it might contribute to the design of sustainable management
strategies.
... In order the PCs to be sufficiently representative of the set of variables, the eigenvalues were required to be greater than 1 (Ruiz et al., 2008). After the PCA, the farms were classified by a k-means CA according to the PCs obtained (Hair et al., 1998;Lesschen et al., 2005;Castel et al., 2011). The authors were very well acquainted with this livestock system and considered that the k-means CA was more suitable than the hierarchical analysis (Madry et al., 2013). ...
In the Mediterranean Basin, sheep meat production systems are based on grazing, and help to conserve biodiversity, mitigate the greenhouse gases emissions and maintain the population in rural areas. However, the lack of differentiation of pastoral systems, as opposed to the intensive model, puts its continuity at risk. In this sense, organic farming can be an alternative to sustain extensive sheep-cereal production systems in marginal Mediterranean drylands. The aim of this research was to evaluate the conversion possibilities of pastoral meat sheep production systems to the organic production model in the Mediterranean Basin, working with the autochthonous Segureña breed sheep. 46 farms were studied, classified into four clusters by mean of multivariate analysis. In order to determine the degree to which farms approached the organic model, 60 variables, grouped into nine indicators were analyzed to obtain an Organic Conversion Index (OCI). The Nutritional management indicator has a high value of approaching the organic model, as well as Animal welfare and Food safety. Marketing and business management , Breeds and reproduction , Weed and pest control and Sustainable pasture management indicators also reach a good approximation level. Only the Breeds and reproduction indicator presented values with significant differences between clusters. The average value of the OCI for the 46 farms ranges from 63 to 70%, and therefore it can be concluded that extensive meat sheep herds in the region are close to this production model. Among the recommendations that can be made to improve the conversion possibilities to the organic model are: (i) to increase own fodder production or find a way to obtain it easily and economically; (ii) to complete the plant−soil−animal cycle, (iii) to seek greater marketing autonomy and (iv) to achieve closer contact with the final consumer. At the same time, government policy both in Spain and other parts of Europe should persevere to find more ways to support the progress of this type of production, in an effort to address limitations and overcome the lack of alternative markets.
... In 1975, the EU priority in the LFAs definition was the farm income level. In 2005, the focus of EU attention shifted to the natural handicaps suffered in the regions, preferring them as criteria to define LFAs for socio-economic consideration (Castel et al. 2011). Nowadays, the situation has not basically changed. ...
Farms that operate in less favoured areas (LFAs) often suffer in achieving adequate profits. Diversification strategies, such as direct selling and offering recreational services, can play an important role in integrating earning sources and, as a consequence, increasing farm profitability. Such opportunities would depend on the efficient distribution and use of farm resources among different activities as well as the added value creation of farm output. However, achieving positive results is not obvious in LFAs due to different types of inherent constraints (geographical, social, economic). The paper aims to evaluate the role of agritourism in affecting the economic performance of multifunctional farms located in a less favoured area of Sardinia (Italy). To be more precise, using so-called working farm income as the main indicator resulting from balance sheet analysis, production factor rewards are determined for 15 agritourism farms. The results show controversial performance but basically highlight the difficulty agritourist farmers have both remunerating their work at market price levels and being profitable. This research contributes to the debate on LFAs and offers useful reflections for policy-makers and practitioners about the potential and critical aspects of agritourism in LFAs.
... Other researchers [57] measured farm sustainability with the use of financial indexes and concluded that the balance sheet should be taken into consideration. Several authors [17,58,59] proposed different strategies to improve the economic sustainability in Greece's goat sector such as increasing farm size, promoting feed self-sufficiency, promoting cooperatives and relationships between farmers. Using grass as a grazed food source for goats results in less reliance on external feed and, therefore, reduced farm costs [60]. ...
Goat farming is an important production sector not only for Greece, but also for other Mediterranean countries, as it contributes to the family economy in rural areas. Despite the importance of goat farming, this sector has experienced economic difficulties due to poor management and increased production costs. The aim of our research is to determine goat farm profitability by surveying goat farmers for revenues, variable costs, and fixed costs of their farms. With the use of Principal Component Analysis, all economic factors contributing to overall production costs are examined, as well as their specific impacts on cost formulation. According to our results, goat farms in Greece are not profitable and they cannot survive without government subsidies. Farm economics and agricultural policies could be leveraged to improve community and environmental outcomes in order for farms to be economically and financially sustainable.
... • planning of livestock reproductive and feeding management throughout the synchronization of periods of highest animal nutritive requirements (end of pregnancy and lactation) with high pasture availability [14]; • a better use of Mediterranean woody fodder species for animal feeding when herbaceous pasture is scarce (summer); • growing fodder crops on the farm in the winter and summer. This strategy has low feasibility in areas where steep terrain and shallow soils hinder land cultivation [15] as in mountains where it would be better to improve pasture yield and quality by oversowing every few years with legumes or other selected species, if expertise and machine equipment are available; • short-distance livestock mobility [16], even if it may have a negative impact on wildfire prevention success. ...
Simple Summary
The growing interest of consumers in products that guarantee animal welfare and a high level of quality should represent the economic lever for small producers in the south of Italy, who mainly manage their farms on pasture or feeding animals with a high forage/concentrate ratio diet. In response to new consumers’ needs, the proposal on the market of these products can be advantageous for small breeders who may require a higher price for the products thus obtained. Our research emphasizes the fact that a greater awareness about the qualities of milk as well as animal welfare positively influence the likelihood of increased consumers’ willingness to pay.
Abstract
The aim of the present work was to investigate the consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for dairy products obtained by grazing animals or fed with a high forage/concentrate ratio diet. To this aim, a survey was carried out on Italian consumers in the Campania Region and data collected were analyzed both by simple descriptive statistics and by an econometric model. Our results highlight that young age, knowledge of milk properties, and a healthy lifestyle are extremely important components in determining a higher WTP.
... In the European Mediterranean countries there have been two opposite trends: intensification, with a larger number of animals per farm and a shift to industrial production systems, and the abandonment of extensive grazing in marginal areas such as mountain and dryland regions (Baldock et al., 1996;Reid et al., 2010;Bernués et al., 2011;Sturaro et al., 2012). For example, in marginal areas of Spain extensive sheep and goat grazing has been drastically replaced with more profitable intensive industrial holdings (Castel et al., 2011;Toro-Mujica et al., 2015). A similar pattern has occurred in northern Italy, where livestock grazing has been abandoned in some areas, whereas other areas have been overgrazed (ISTAT, 2010;Sturaro et al., 2012). ...
... In the European Mediterranean countries there have been two opposite trends: intensification, with a larger number of animals per farm and a shift to industrial production systems, and the abandonment of extensive grazing in marginal areas such as mountain and dryland regions (Baldock et al., 1996;Reid et al., 2010;Bernués et al., 2011;Sturaro et al., 2012). For example, in marginal areas of Spain extensive sheep and goat grazing has been drastically replaced with more profitable intensive industrial holdings (Castel et al., 2011;Toro-Mujica et al., 2015). A similar pattern has occurred in northern Italy, where livestock grazing has been abandoned in some areas, whereas other areas have been overgrazed (ISTAT, 2010;Sturaro et al., 2012). ...
The Mediterranean Red List assessment is a review of the regional conservation status of approximately 6,000 species (amphibians, mammals, reptiles, birds, fishes, butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, corals and plants) according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. It identifies those species that are threatened with extinction at the regional level to guide appropriate conservation actions for improving their status. This report summarises the results for Mediterranean dung beetles. All the dung beetles that are endemic or nearly endemic to the Mediterranean region – 200 species – are included. The geographical scope is the Mediterranean region according to the Mediterranean Basin Biodiversity Hotspot (Mittermeier et al., 2004), with the exception of the Macaronesian islands, which have not been included in this study. Of the 644 species of dung beetles inhabiting the Mediterranean region, 200 (32%) have at least 75% of their distribution range within the borders of the region. The other 444 species, which occur over a wider area, were excluded from this assessment. Of the 200 species analysed, 150 are considered endemic as they cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
... The demanding European legislation on food quality and security issues and the increase of practices aiming to obtain growing dairy yields per farm led to the intensification of production and the decline of grazing livestock systems [1]. This dairy intensification has led to an increase in the use of concentrates and reducing or eliminating pasture, as in Payoya breed farms [2]. ...
The increased use of concentrates to reduce pasture as a feed source in productive systems like Payoya breed goat farms has made it necessary to decrease feeding costs. The inclusion of agro-industry by-products such as dry orange pulp pellets in goat diets has been suggested as a sustainable alternative to cereal-based concentrates. The aim of this work was to assess the influence of diets including dry orange pulp pellets on the quality of cheeses traditionally made from Payoya breed goat milk. We analysed the physicochemical characteristics, sensory properties and volatile compound profiles of 18 artisanal cheeses made from raw Payoya milk. In this study, goats were fed with different concentrations of dry orange pulp; and cheeses were curdled with animal and vegetable coagulants. Slight differences were detected between some cheeses. However, the use of citrus by-products in the Payoya goat diets did not substantially affect the cheeses’ physicochemical properties, olfactory attributes, or volatile profiles. Therefore, dried citrus pulp can be used as a substitute for cereal concentrates without affecting the distinct properties of these ripened raw goat milk cheeses.
... The demanding European legislation on food quality and security issues and the increase of practices aiming to obtain growing dairy yields per farm led to the intensification of production and the decline of grazing livestock systems [1]. This dairy intensification has led to an increase in the use of concentrates and reducing or eliminating pasture, as in Payoya breed farms [2]. ...
The increased use of concentrates to reduce pasture as a feed source in productive systems like Payoya breed goat farms has made it necessary to decrease feeding costs. The inclusion of agro-industry by-products such as dry orange pulp pellets in goat diets has been suggested as a sustainable alternative to cereal-based concentrates. The aim of this work was to assess the influence of diets including dry orange pulp pellets on the quality of cheeses traditionally made from Payoya breed goat milk. We analysed the physicochemical characteristics, sensory properties and volatile compound profiles of 18 artisanal cheeses made from raw Payoya milk. In this study, goats were fed with diferent concentrations of dry orange pulp; and cheeses were curdled with animal and vegetable coagulants. Slight diferences were detected between some cheeses. However, the use of citrus by-products in the Payoya goat diets did not substantially afect the cheeses’ physicochemical properties, olfactory attributes, or volatile profiles. Therefore, dried citrus pulp can be used as a substitute for cereal concentrates without afecting the distinct properties of these ripened raw goat milk cheeses.
... At present there is a growing interest in animal food products obtained from grazing and is recognized by nearly all consumers and farmers themselves as high-quality foods [9]. Dairy specialization has brought about an increase in the use of concentrates [10], thus reducing or even eliminating pasture as a feed source. Despite the goat farming intensification process, there are still areas where farms depend on pastures at least partially, to feed their animals. ...
... It is essential that native breeds normally raised under grazing systems, such as Payoya goats (a dairy breed considered endangered by the Official Catalogue of Spanish Livestock Breeds) be preserved. Despite the social and environmental advantages offered by goat pastoral systems, they are likely to disappear if they are economically unviable (Castel et al., 2011). ...
The viability of conventional goat farms, such as the native Payoya dairy goat, could be improved by switching to organic production, but product quality needs to be ensured. The present work assesses the carcass and meat quality of Payoya kids raised under conventional and organic grazing–based systems. Twenty-four kids (12 males, 12 females) were selected from each system (n = 48). The slaughter live weight (8.52 vs. 8.28 kg), cold carcass weight (4.44 vs. 4.29 kg) and farm dressing percentage (51.7 vs. 50 %) of the conventionally raised kids were significantly higher than those of the organic kids. The shoulder (first category) (21.7 vs. 22.3 %) and long leg (32 vs. 32.9 %) percentages were lower in the conventional than in the organic kids. The percentage contribution of the intermuscular fat (10.70 vs. 8.11 %) to the shoulder weight was greater in the conventional kids, while the percentage of muscle (59.7 vs. 57.2 %) and bone (24.7 vs. 22.8 %) were higher in the organic kids. For the chemical composition, there were only differences between the two sexes in the percentage of fat (6.64 and 7.99 % on dry matter, for male and female, respectively). For rheological variables, only differences were found in the water holding capacity (% water expelled), the meat of the organic females had a higher value (17 %) than that of the conventional females (14 %). For the meat colour, the conventional male kids returned the highest values for C * and H º (14.32 and 64.34, respectively). Farms following conventional grazing–based management could easily switch to organic production. Most of the meat and carcass quality variables studied were very similar across the systems.
... However, the rate of farms having their own cooling tanks (35.7%) was lower than the rate for farms having a mechanical milking system. The situation was the same in middle scale farms in Spain; that is, mechanical milking was 100%, whereas farms having their own cooling tanks were 80 ± 20% (Castel et al. 2011). ...
This study describes the results of a farm-based welfare assessment, herd management, and some yield indicators in Northern Cyprus dairy goat farms. Out of 324 intensive milk goat farms which produce goats, only the 42 goat farms which had 7950 heads were chosen by random sampling in Northern Cyprus (2016), and face-to-face questionnaires and observations were conducted to collect data. Regarding the breeding techniques in these farms, of all the goats in these farms, 45.2% were cross-breed, 38.1% were Damascus, 11.9% were Saanen, and 4.8% were hair goats. The average of the total number of animals was 211.38 ± 209 heads. The average number of pens and the number of animals per pen in the farms, which had 2 to 5 pens, were 67 ± 49.5 heads. The barn types of these farms were observed to be semi-open and nearly open (95%). 45.5% of the farms made a single milking in a day. The most significant reason for this was that the suckling of the kids lasted 3 months or more in 73.8% of the farms. Natural random mating was applied to 69% of the farms. The 45.2% of the farms applied additional feeding before the mating season. The rate of multiple births was 24.76%. The mortality rate in kids was greater than 10% in the 57% of farms examined. The 75% of kids had diarrhea, 33% had umbilicus infections, and 33% suffered from respiratory problems. Among the adult goats of the surveyed farms, the most important problem was external parasites (100%). The second and third problems were overgrown claws (80.9%) and common abscesses (80.95%). Regarding the biosecurity indicators, the general disinfection percentage of farms was 78.57%. However, veterinarian controls were conducted only in the 26.9% of the farms on a regular basis. In these farms, there was no significant difference between the breeds regarding their breeding and reproduction techniques or health indicators. The entrance of the farms carries a high risk for biosecurity. Heat stress is quite important factor for the milk quality.
... Andalusia is the second region in Europe in the volume of goat's milk production, representing annually almost half that of Spain (Castel et al., 2011). The main destination of this milk is for export but a small percentage is used to make artisanal cheeses. ...
Linear regression models were applied to predict the effect of the breed and technological factors on the sensory characteristic of cheeses. Seventy goat cheeses from forty local producers were analysed. They represented the totality of the Andalusian cheese‐making sector (different goat breeds, type of coagulant, ripening time and heat treatment of milk). Sensory attributes of cheeses were influenced by all the factors studied. Ripening affects all sensory attributes while the breed and the heat treatment are the most influential factors on the flavour and the type of coagulant on the texture attributes of these cheeses. Linear regression models were found to be suitable for studying which factors had an independent influence on the sensory attributes of these cheeses. This work could help researchers and producers to a better sensory characterisation of their products.
... This high profitability may help farmers confront problems resulting from milk price stabilization or price drops due to increased milk supply or higher input prices in recent years, which particularly affect more intensive systems. In this study, lower variable costs per animal have been found to result from high levels of feed self-sufficiency, leading to higher profits per unit of labor; these results are similar to those obtained in traditional sheep and goat farms in some areas of Southern Europe that have vast marginal lands characterized by limited and uncertain rainfall, poor soils, steep slopes and/or other biophysical constraints ( Castel et al. 2011;Ripoll-Bosch, Joy, and Bernués 2014). Therefore, in production units with autochthonous breeds, the low level of dependence on off-farm inputs and high level of feed self-sufficiency promote labor profitability (measured as net margin per working unit), whereas animal productivity does not necessarily improve labor profitability ( Ripoll-Bosch, Joy, and Bernués 2014). ...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of sustainability of conventional and organic dairy cattle production units (CPU) in the Zoque Region of the Mexican state of Chiapas through evaluating attributes and indicators of sustainability and through a sustainability index (SI) value. Four organic or conventional CPU with high or low SI values were identified. The organic CPU with high SI had the highest SI value. The attribute of sustainability self-management contributed more to the SI value. All CPU need to strengthen some of the attributes of sustainability evaluated.
... In these countries, many goat farms traditionally associated to grazing systems in mountain areas have specialized in milk production, particularly in economically developed countries such as Spain. This dairy specialization has brought about an increase in the use of concentrates (Castel et al., 2011) thus reducing or even eliminating pasture as a feed source. Despite the goat farming intensification process, there are still areas where farms depend on pastures, at least partly, to feed their animals. ...
European small ruminant systems are mainly situated in mountain areas and for the production model to be sustainable, the quality of products and traceability should be analysed. Technical data and bulk milk samples (n = 48 for each season) from 16 goat farms were collected each month during the four seasons of the year. According to the indicator Net energy provided by grazing on shrublands (NERG), farms were separated in High (n = 3, 59% NERG), Medium (n = 9, 39%) and Low (n = 4, 16%) Grazing groups. Samples were analysed for fatty acid (FA) profile and vitamin A and E contents, and was evaluated its utility to discriminate milk samples. Few differences were found in the analyzed parameters between farm groups. However, important changes were reported according to season. Spring milk (46% NERG) showed significantly higher levels of some healthy FA (total polyunsaturated, 4.67 ± 0.044% of total FA; n-3, 0.94 ± 0.017; conjugated linoleic acid total, 0.51 ± 0.008), summer (37% NERG) and autumn (33% NERG) showed higher levels of α tocopherol (215.5 and 195.8 ± 6.54 μg/100 g, respectively) and winter (32% NERG) showed higher levels of retinol (85.0 ± 1.71 μg/100 g). The multivariate approach was able to discriminate milk from different seasons.
... As previously discussed for dairy sheep, the number of dairy goats decreased by 30.7% during the last decade although the total amount of goat milk remained steady due to an increase in individual milk yield (422 L/doe; Table 5) among local goat breeds (MAPAMA, 2016a). Moreover, there is strong evidence of intensification of traditional Spanish dairy goat production systems associated with increases in herd size, lactation length, investment in facilities, and improvement in health and management (Castel et al., 2011), as well as a decrease in grazing. In most cases, modernized farms coexist with those that maintain semi-extensive systems with traditional management practices (Gaspar et al., 2011) but without a significant effect of foreign breeds. ...
Dairy small ruminants account for approximately 21% of all sheep and goats in the world, produce around 3.5% of the world's milk, and are mainly located in subtropical-temperate areas of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Dairy sheep are concentrated around the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, where their dairy products are typical ingredients of the human diet. Dairy goats are concentrated in low-income, food-deficit countries of the Indian subcontinent, where their products are a key food source, but are also present in high-income, technologically developed countries. This review evaluates the status of the dairy sheep and goat sectors in the world, with special focus on the commercially and technically developed industries in France, Greece, Italy, and Spain (FGIS). Dairy small ruminants account for a minor part of the total agricultural output in France, Italy, and Spain (0.9 to 1.8%) and a larger part in Greece (8.8%). In FGIS, the dairy sheep industry is based on local breeds and crossbreeds raised under semi-intensive and intensive systems and is concentrated in a few regions in these countries. Average flock size varies from small to medium (140 to 333 ewes/farm), and milk yield from low to medium (85 to 216 L/ewe), showing substantial room for improvement. Most sheep milk is sold to industries and processed into traditional cheese types, many of which are Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) cheeses for gourmet and export markets (e.g., Pecorino, Manchego, and Roquefort). By comparing break-even milk price among FGIS countries, we observed the following: (1) most Greek and French dairy sheep farms were unprofitable, with the exception of the intensive Chios farms of Greece; (2) milk price was aligned with cost of production in Italy; and (3) profitable farms coexisted with unprofitable farms in Spain. In FGIS, dairy goat production is based on local breeds raised under more extensive systems than sheep. Compared with sheep, average dairy goat herds are smaller (36 to 190 does/farm) but milk yield is greater (153 to 589 L/doe), showing room for improvement. Goat milk is mainly processed on-farm into dairy products for national markets, but some PDO goat milk cheeses (e.g., Murcia al Vino) are exported. Processed goat milk is sold for local human consumption or dehydrated for export. Mixed sheep-goat (e.g., Feta) and cow-sheep-goat milk cheeses are common in many countries. Strategies to improve the dairy sheep and goat sectors in these 4 countries are proposed and discussed.
Goats are kept in both intensive and extensive production systems. The most intensive farms are highly industrialized with larger herd sizes. In more extensive systems with large herds, goats have access to an outdoor area in periods or the whole year round. This may decrease animal density and thus increase the welfare of goats. Goats and goat kids can be kept in an uninsulated, cold building and, to a certain extent, may also tolerate high temperatures if they have access to shade and the barns are adequate in terms of space and design. An increase in group size while keeping the floor space per individual constant, reduces aggression, increases social tolerance and locomotion, and opens new possibilities for creating a more stimulating indoor environment. Environmental enrichment improves welfare by reducing social conflicts, providing stimulating activities, and allowing for individual differences. Overall, a heterogeneous environment offering resources and activities placed on different locations in the environment makes it possible for the animals to make individual choices. Environments allowing more individual choices may enhance welfare in itself. The ideal natural pasture should be a vegetational mosaic, more suited for satisfying the behavioural and dietary needs. When evaluating a diet at pasture, the quality of a specific feed goes beyond the mere nutritional value as it also includes the presence of any positive nutraceutical compounds and the absence of elements that can be toxic to the animal.
The study was performed to compare milk quality on goat cheese managed under different feeding
systems: exclusive grazing (EG), supplemented grazing (SG) or full confinement (FC). Sampling was
obtained in 2020 and 2021 on 1418 dairy goats from Querétaro, Michoacán, Guanajuato and San Luis
Potosí in Mexico. Among the 84 farms included in the trial, 25.3% were in FC (359 animals) fed corn
silage, alfalfa hay, and commercial balanced concentrate (18% CP; 500 to 1000g/ head/day); in both
extensive (EG) and supplemented (SG) exclusive grazing, vegetation consumed was a mixture of grasses;
Bouteloua curtipendula, chloris virgata, bothriochloa saccharoides, leptochloa dubia, rhyncheltythurum
roseum, panicum obtusum, bouteluoa repens, aristida adscensionis, setaria parviflora, urochloa
fasciulata, pennisetum ciliare., legumes: prosopis leavigata, acacia farnesiana, acacia schaffneri, mimosa
biuncifera., shrubs: celtis pallida, psilactis brevilingulata, jatropha dioica, zalazania augusta var. Augusta,
verbasina serrata and cactus: opuntia affasiacantha, o. Amyctaea, o. Cretochaeta, o. Hytiacantha, o.
Robusta, O. streptacanta, O. tomentosa and O. imbricata Group EG (30%, 426 does) were permanently
on rangeland while SG (44.6%, 632 heads) was partially on rangeland supplemented with a commercial
balanced feed. Average daily milk yield was significantly (P<0.05) different among groups: 1.6±.212kg
(FC), 0.950±.272kg (SG) and 0.720±.153kg (EG). Feeding system also affected milk fatty acid profile,
particularly the ω6/ω3 ratio: increasing the amount of concentrate in the diet significantly (P<0.05)
improved ω6 or decreased ω3 concentration, together with a rise on antioxidants (polyphenols) under
grazing and diminishing when were kept in full confinement. Level of alpha-tocopherol was higher
(p<0.05) in grazing goats (193.02μg/100g), compared to SG: 119.83μg/100g and FC: 87.16μg/100g.
The degree of antioxidant protection (DAP) increased significantly between treatments, with the highest
value being observed in EG (13.2), followed by SG (7.3) and FC (4.1). It is concluded that there is an
effect of the feeding system that directly influences the profile of fatty acids and the degree of antioxidant
protection in cheese, being greater in milk that comes from grazing goats diminishing beneficial effects
for human health. Cheese improved facilities due to farmer incomer, did not significantly affected quality,
feeding system seemed to be the key component in the heathy structure of the product.
Keywords: Milk; Grazing; Pufa; Omega Fatty Acids; Antioxidants
The study was performed to compare milk quality on goat cheese managed under different feeding
systems: exclusive grazing (EG), supplemented grazing (SG) or full confinement (FC). Sampling was
obtained in 2020 and 2021 on 1418 dairy goats from Querétaro, Michoacán, Guanajuato and San Luis
Potosí in Mexico. Among the 84 farms included in the trial, 25.3% were in FC (359 animals) fed corn
silage, alfalfa hay, and commercial balanced concentrate (18% CP; 500 to 1000g/ head/day); in both
extensive (EG) and supplemented (SG) exclusive grazing, vegetation consumed was a mixture of grasses;
Bouteloua curtipendula, chloris virgata, bothriochloa saccharoides, leptochloa dubia, rhyncheltythurum
roseum, panicum obtusum, bouteluoa repens, aristida adscensionis, setaria parviflora, urochloa
fasciulata, pennisetum ciliare., legumes: prosopis leavigata, acacia farnesiana, acacia schaffneri, mimosa
biuncifera., shrubs: celtis pallida, psilactis brevilingulata, jatropha dioica, zalazania augusta var. Augusta,
verbasina serrata and cactus: opuntia affasiacantha, o. Amyctaea, o. Cretochaeta, o. Hytiacantha, o.
Robusta, O. streptacanta, O. tomentosa and O. imbricata Group EG (30%, 426 does) were permanently
on rangeland while SG (44.6%, 632 heads) was partially on rangeland supplemented with a commercial
balanced feed. Average daily milk yield was significantly (P<0.05) different among groups: 1.6±.212kg
(FC), 0.950±.272kg (SG) and 0.720±.153kg (EG). Feeding system also affected milk fatty acid profile,
particularly the ω6/ω3 ratio: increasing the amount of concentrate in the diet significantly (P<0.05)
improved ω6 or decreased ω3 concentration, together with a rise on antioxidants (polyphenols) under
grazing and diminishing when were kept in full confinement. Level of alpha-tocopherol was higher
(p<0.05) in grazing goats (193.02µg/100g), compared to SG: 119.83µg/100g and FC: 87.16µg/100g.
The degree of antioxidant protection (DAP) increased significantly between treatments, with the highest
value being observed in EG (13.2), followed by SG (7.3) and FC (4.1). It is concluded that there is an
effect of the feeding system that directly influences the profile of fatty acids and the degree of antioxidant
protection in cheese, being greater in milk that comes from grazing goats diminishing beneficial effects
for human health. Cheese improved facilities due to farmer incomer, did not significantly affected quality,
feeding system seemed to be the key component in the heathy structure of the product.
The Iberian pork industry has proven to be very important in South-Western Europe, not only due its contribution to the economy of the area, but also because of the peculiarities of the farms situated there. These farms raise Iberian pigs in systems ranging from fully outdoor rearing systems to intensive-rearing farms similar to the conventional pig production models. The implementation of biosecurity measures in Iberian pig farms can be complex and, at times, it can be perceived somewhat negatively by farmers, especially those who run more extensive pig production systems. This research attempts to understand the attitudes of Iberian pig farmers in the South-West of Spain towards the adoption of and investment in biosecurity measures. For that purpose, data obtained from 104 online surveys taken by Iberian pig farmers in 2019 was analysed. A correspondence and a cluster analysis were performed, whereby three farm groups were identified according to their features (land area, breeding conditions, availability of facilities, etc.), the existence/use of biosecurity facilities and the adoption of biosecurity measures. The results have shown that most of the analysed farms have the necessary infrastructure to comply with the biosecurity principles and farmers perform basic biosecurity practices. However, farms that are more extensive, mainly those finishing their pigs outdoors (acorn-feed), need to improve their biosecurity. It is necessary therefore to implement an improvement plan following the current regulations in collaboration with policy makers with the purpose of improving the levels of biosecurity and increase disease risk awareness.
This study investigated the impact of diverse technical and economic factors
on sustainable dairy small ruminant farmer market choices in Cyprus.
It determined the factors that affect farmer choice between selling milk to
a large dairy processor or a traditional small dairy. Detailed interviews with
farmers based on a structured questionnaire were conducted in the frame
of the DoMEsTIc research project. We used a Probit model to relate adoption
behavior to farmer, farm, and market characteristics. Both technicoeconomic
and market aspects contributed to farmer decisions on sustainable
milk market channels. Important technico-economic factors were flock size, existence of successor, availability of family labour, computer use, and breeding
experience. Market factors that affected farmer decision for a suitable
milk market channel were the sheep milk price, the type of contract with
buyers (formal or informal), the payment method and the price differentiation
according to specific milk quality specifications.
Native livestock breeds, i.e. those autochthonous to a specific region, are locally adapted domesticated animals that conserve genetic resources, guaranty food security and provide agroecosystem services. Native breeds are largely threatened worldwide by agricultural intensification and rural areas abandonment processes related to recent changes in production schemes and planning. Yet, our gap of knowledge regarding livestock breed-environment relationships may prevent the design of successful conservation measures. In this work, we analyse the links between livestock diversity -i.e. richness of native breeds- and a selection of environmental factors that express at broad scales, with a temporal perspective. We compare native breeds distributional patterns before and after the agricultural intensification, in the context of land-use change in mainland Spain. Our results confirm the existence of strong associations between the distribution of native livestock breeds and environmental factors. These links, however, weaken for contemporary distributions. In fact, changes in breed distribution reflect a shift towards more productive environments. Finally, we found that the areas having higher breed richness are undergoing land abandonment processes. Succeeding in the conservation of threatened native breeds will require going beyond merely genetic and production-oriented views. Ecological and sociocultural perspectives should also be accounted for as global change processes are determinant for livestock agrobiodiversity.
Este estudio fue realizado entre los años 2017 y 2018. Se buscó establecer las características técnicas y productivas del sector industrializador costarricense de la leche caprina, por medio del estudio de 10 emprendimientos en todo el país. Se utilizó una herramienta de diagnóstico que consideró la sociografía de los productores, el origen y manejo de la leche, las condiciones operativas de las instalaciones, buenas prácticas de manufactura, productos lácteos manufacturados y su comercialización, así como las percepciones de los productores hacia el sector. Se documentaron aspectos como las características socioeconómicas de los productores, la experiencia en el sector, el rol de la actividad caprina dentro de su economía, la infraestructura de sus plantas de producción, los productos manufacturados y las prácticas de gestión administrativa. Se estableció que los emprendimientos industrializadores necesitan implementar acciones de mejora en diferentes áreas técnicas, administrativas y de gestión de la calidad. Muchas de sus problemáticas derivan del pequeño tamaño de los emprendimientos, y de la limitada cadena de comercialización existente. Posibles derroteros futuros y mejoras para el sector se discuten en este trabajo.
This study was carried out between 2017 and 2018. The objective was to establish the technical and productive characteristics of the Costa Rican industrialization sector of goat milk, through the study of 10 ventures throughout the country. A diagnostic tool was used that considered the sociography of the producers, the origin and management of the milk, the operating conditions of the facilities, good manufacturing practices, manufactured dairy products and their commercialization, as well as the perceptions of the producers towards the sector. Aspects such as the socioeconomic characteristics of the producers, the experience in the sector, the role of the goat industry in their economy, the infrastructure of the production plants, the manufactured products and the administrative management practices were documented. It was established that the industrialization enterprises need to implement improvement actions in different technical, administrative and quality management areas. Many of its problems derive from the small size of the ventures, and the limited existing marketing chain. Possible future paths and improvements for the sector are discussed in this work.
Este estudio fue realizado entre los años 2017 y 2018. Se buscó establecer las características técnicas y productivas del sector industrializador costarricense de la leche caprina, por medio del estudio de 10 emprendimientos en todo el país. Se utilizó una herramienta de diagnóstico que consideró la sociografía de los productores, el origen y manejo de la leche, las condiciones operativas de las instalaciones, buenas prácticas de manufactura, productos lácteos manufacturados y su comercialización, así como las percepciones de los productores hacia el sector. Se documentaron aspectos como las características socioeconómicas de los productores, la experiencia en el sector, el rol de la actividad caprina dentro de su economía, la infraestructura de sus plantas de producción, los productos manufacturados y las prácticas de gestión administrativa. Se estableció que los emprendimientos industrializadores necesitan implementar acciones de mejora en diferentes áreas técnicas, administrativas y de gestión de la calidad. Muchas de sus problemáticas derivan del pequeño tamaño de los emprendimientos, y de la limitada cadena de comercialización existente. Posibles derroteros futuros y mejoras para el sector se discuten en este trabajo.
Multiple factors affect the continuity of goat farms: market conditions, availability of land, application of new technologies, etc. Among these factors, those related to labour play an important role. The aim of this study is to characterize all aspects related to labour in goat farms in Andalusia (Spain) and propose some strategies for improvement of worker's life conditions. 75 Andalusian goat breeders were interviewed. The main problems identified were: the length of working day, the lack of holidays and the lack of training. As a consequence of these problems, young people do not continue in goat production. Some strategies to solve these problems are: to improve feeding management, to apply new technologies and to promote associations that facilitate the hiring of replacement workers when farmers need to take a holiday.
Despite more than 15 years of GPS use in studies with domesticated animals, surprisingly little high-resolution data was collected on grazing itineraries of livestock. It seems as if each research group has its preferred GPS tracking equipment, but little comparative data about the reliability of different types of collars are available. This study provides such data for three very different GPS collars that were tested on a human observer's back and on herded goats in the rugged Hajar Mountains of northern Oman. At a set logging interval of 15s, the obtained number of position fixes per minute varied from 2.3 to 3.8 and differed significantly (P0.05) in open terrain. The large variations between the devices in the obtained latitude, longitude and particularly the altitude data were likely due to differences in the factory-made basic setup of the GPS receivers which placed specific weights on signal reliability and trigonometric properties. In the topographically disrupted study environment, recorded values of the position dilution of precision (PDOP) proved to be of little use as indicators of position quality as they were poorly related to the precision of latitude, longitude and altitude values obtained. If accurate altitude data are required, such as for studies on animals’ energy expenditure, separate recording of variations in barometric pressure at the same time intervals as those of the GPS collars is recommended.
This study is a large-scale survey based on interviews with owners of 151 Sardinian goat farms. The aim was to provide an up to date description of the goat production chain on the island. A multivariate statistical approach was applied to exploit the great number of available variables in the best way. The statistical analysis was carried out in two steps: principal component analysis and successive cluster analysis. In general, Sardinian goat farming showed a remarkable backwardness compared to dairy sheep farming. This is particularly true for farm facilities and productivity. Cluster analysis allowed us to identify five clusters, which corresponded to three principal farming systems. Firstly, a traditional system with little infrastructure and low management and productive levels was identified. Here the most frequent genotype was basically the native Sardinian breed. Secondly, there is a group of farms mainly located in the southwest of Sardinia where the facilities and the management were poor and production was on a low level than dairy sheep farming but generally better developed than the previous cluster. Thirdly, there is a group of farms using a sort of semi-intensive farming system, which was more similar to that of dairy sheep,
with relatively high productive and reproductive performance. In conclusion, this study identified different goat farming systems in Sardinia and emphasizes the need to develop strategies, which are able to take this diversity into account.
This study attempts to describe the semi-extensive goat farming sector in Andalusia (south of Spain) and to establish characteristics. Eighty-nine goat farmers were surveyed in three areas of this region. The survey examined all aspects of the systems, from socio-economy to management. A multivariate analysis (multiple correspondence and cluster) was used to determine the different farm characteristics. Most of the goat farms studied are single-worker or family managed. The farmers lack training and are elderly, so that continuity of the activity is not assured, although newcomers are usually young. All the farms have some area in ownership, although the farms most specialized in dairy goat products are the smallest in both ownership and total area. The roads are generally in good condition, except on farms with little land, situated in areas of the sierra. Machine-milking installations, closely related to the presence of infrastructures and of goats with a dairy tendency, are generally lacking, (this aspect is improving day by day). Artificial nursing is less generalized than machine-milking. Farms specializing in milk production, whose main activity is dairy goat farming, have dairy specialized breed or crossbred (milk and meat) goats. Feeding depends largely on grazing, with little area being cultivated to produce feed for the goats. Little distinction is made for the production level. Olive or acorn tree branches (Quercus ilex spp.) are used as feedstuff, depending on the types of tree predominating in the area. Five farm types were established, the differences depending on 14 variables of socio-economic aspects, level of production, infrastructure and installations, and feeding. Generated information from this study entails an advance into knowledge of goat farming systems in the Mediterranean area (where little information is generated). The relevance of this study is important since Andalusia has 40% of goats in Spain that produce more than half of the total goat milk in the country, which points out the socio-economical importance for most depressed areas in the region. This work supposes previous steps for improving the semi-extensive goat farming sector. From a methodological point of view, the discussion on variable types and utility establishes farm type characteristics.
This investigation aims to classify, describe and evaluate the sustainability of dairy goat production systems (GPS) in South Spain Sierra de Cadiz. The research took place throughout 25 goat farms during the 2001–2002 campaigns, with the method posed by Masera et al. (1999) [Masera, O., Astier, M., S., Ló pez-Ridaura. 1999. Sustentabilidad y manejo de recursos naturales. El marco de evaluació n MESMIS (Sustainability and natural resource management. The MESMIS evaluation framework). Mundi-Prensa, S.A., Gira, IE-UNAM, México. 109 pp.] and adapted to animal production systems, as the guideline and framework to evaluate sustainability. The principal component, namely energy input from grazing (eigenvalue 1.329) which comprises the indicators total area per goat (factorial value 0.664) together with net energy obtained from grazing (factorial value 0.903) allowed to differentiate significantly between semi extensive (SES), semi intensive (SIS) and intensive (IS) goat production systems. Intensification of the GPS tends to be inefficient, especially in terms of net margin per litre of milk produced (p b 0.05). A higher degree of adaptability of IS (64.8%) derives from a higher investment on new production strategies. Likewise, higher self-management capacity of SES (60.9%) fosters standards of productivity (76.0%) and stability (42.9%). The SIS presented the highest equity values (67.8%). On the whole, sustainability of GPS tends to decrease as the degree of intensification increases: SES = 57.3%; SIS = 55.7% and IS = 53.1%. The reduction of the dependency on external input alongside with the optimization of natural resources management would surely improve the standard of sustainability. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The structure and typology of beef cattle farms from three autochthonous Spanish breeds (Avilena-Negra Iberica, Morucha and Retinta) located in "dehesa" areas have been characterised from a survey including 130 farms. The questionnaire provided information on the structure of the farms, feeding practices, reproductive and sanitary management, production and commercialisation of the product. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis (multiple correspondences analysis and cluster analysis) were used to understand the relationships between variables and to establish farm typologies. We have found that the farms are large (an average of 125 cows and 548 ha), with an average stocking rate of 0.4 livestock unit/ha of agricultural area. Most of the farms are family managed, but with an important presence of external employees. Feeding depends largely on grazing, with seasonal supplementation. The presence of other livestock species, such horses, sheep and swine is frequent. The typology of the farms has been established on the basis of (1) farm size, (2) productivity of labour, (3) degree of specialisation, and (4) degree of extensification. Three groups of farms have been differentiated. The first group has followed a strategy of intensification of the system and includes the smallest farms. The second group is constituted by farms of intermediate size, very specialised in beef production. The third group includes large farms that have followed a strategy of extensification, complementing farm incomes by the exploitation of other livestock species. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Résumé. Depuis plus de 20 ans, l'Institut de l'Elevage (France) réalise l'analyse des résultats technico-économiques d'élevages caprins en suivi. En Andalousie également, un groupe de chercheurs du Secteur Production Animale de l'Université de Séville a entamé en 2002 l'analyse technico-économique en utilisant la liste des indicateurs proposée par FAO-CIHEAM. Pour avancer dans la recherche d'outils qui permettent la comparaison des résultats technico-économiques d'exploitations caprines de différentes régions de l'Europe, une mise en commun des indicateurs utilisés par l'Institut de l'Élevage et par l'Université de Séville a été réalisée. Quelques résultats observés dans les deux pays ont été comparés. Les principales différences concernent la taille des exploitations et le nombre de chèvres par élevage, plus élevés dans les exploitations pastorales andalouses, tandis que la production de lait est inférieure à celle des exploitations françaises. Enfin, au niveau de l'alimentation, les exploitations andalouses utilisent moins de fourrage. Mots-clés. Systèmes caprins laitiers – Indicateurs technico-économiques – France – Andalousie.
Since 2002, the Galician Administration (NW Spain) has been working in the development of a decision support system for Agricultural Production Planning. To this end, an initial decision tool, Gestop®, was developed. However, the tool had a number of limitations for practical use because of the lack of differentiated data about the real situation of farms.With a view to improving the initial tool, a combinatorial method (CM) was developed. Such a combinatorial method used official census data to classify farms based on the different production processes, sizes and geographical locations of farms, among other factors. The combinatorial method proved very useful as a source of differentiated data for the decision support system. Yet, validating the results using robust statistical methods was considered essential in order to guarantee the suitability of the model for use.This paper uses discriminant analysis (DA) techniques to validate the types of dairy farms obtained from the combinatorial method for Galicia.Results clearly validate the combinatorial method and its use as a data source for decision support systems in Agricultural Production Planning.
In order to maintain small ruminant grazing systems it is necessary to know precisely how they work and what actions can be taken to improve them. The objective of this paper was to characterize, classify, analyse and propose improvements for the dairy goat grazing systems in three countries from the western Mediterranean area: Spain, France and Italy. A multivariate analysis was conducted with 21 indicators obtained from the data collected from 45 farms. As a result of the multivariate analysis, 82.5% of variance was explained by two principal components. The first component included proportion of cultivated pasture area and cultivated pasture area per goat. The second included goats present and forage supply per goat. After conducting a cluster analysis based on these two principal components, farms were classified into four groups. Group 1 was made up of French and Italian farms, which had a smaller territorial base but a high cultivated pasture area per goat, contributing to greater self-sufficiency in feed. However the concentrate per goat was too high in relation to milk production, which was medium. The difference between milk income and feed cost is also medium. Group 2 was basically made up of Italian farms. The farms in this group had the most extensive management systems, with a low use of inputs. However, the milk production was low, meaning that the difference between milk income and feed cost was also low. Group 3 was mainly made up of Spanish farms. On these farms the concentrate supply was excessive and the forage supply was low. The milk production per goat was medium and the difference between milk income and feed cost was small. Group 4 was made up mainly of French farms. The farms of this group had a moderate supply of concentrate although the forage supply was very high. They had a high milk production, which lead to a large difference between milk income and feed cost per goat.
Forty-six dehesa sheep farms of Extremadura (SW Spain) were analyzed on the basis of previously determined technical and economic indicators. A principal component analysis gave five principal components – related to intensification, profitability, and livestock mix – that characterized the farms. Using multivariate techniques based on these factors, a farm typology was established with six categories—three of sheep alone at different levels of intensification, and three of sheep in combination with beef cattle or Iberian pig. This typology enabled homogeneous groups of farms to be considered for possible administrative actions relating to their optimal dimensions and stocking rates.
The goat was the first animal domesticated to produce for the consumer. The geographic occurrence of this phenomenon, combined with the location of the cradle of the first known civilisations (Mesopotamia), contributed to the direct connection of the goat to all phases of life of the people who created and developed civilisation in the area now known as the Middle East. The presence of the goat in all sectors of ancient societies has continued to the present, particularly in religion, economy, nutrition and tradition. Breeding goats was important during Greco-Roman times, Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Goat farming reached a turning point in the 18th century in Europe when distinct populations emerged through selected breeding from the basic European, Asian and African goat populations. In the 19th century, a change in the social structure and in production methods was observed. Specialisation in agricultural production replaced traditional farming, aimed at supplying growing urban populations. Other historical events affected the process. Large imports of wool from the southern hemisphere forced prices down, frustrating sheep breeders in Europe many of whom switched to goat farming. Early in the 20th century, the goat population of Europe was forcibly reduced (except Greece) due, inter alia, to stringent laws that discriminated against goats, as ‘a threat to the environment’, particularly in forested areas. Conditions prevailing today are fairly complex. Problems and prospects vary by region, which consequently have different cultural and economic implications. Both global and regional approaches to livestock farming are important from the economic aspect of developed and developing nations. Rapidly increasing goat populations in developing countries, point to the goat assisting in solving some of the needs created by the rising human populations. Goat farming in Europe also has a more positive outlook after nearly a century of a negative reputation. Dairy-goat farming is significant to the economies of the Mediterranean countries. The goat is clearly not synonymous with under-development and poverty. Improving access to scientific information through research and extension services must benefit the goat industries of developing regions where the demand is increasing due to growing human populations and their associated needs. Consumer's acceptance of high quality goat products coupled to longstanding cultural traditions sets a positive outlook for the goat sector in the developed countries. It remains important though that appropriate policies are implemented for each situation.
Energy requirements of grazing animals may dramatically increase over those of confined animals. This increase is due to additional oxidation of metabolic fuel in the tissues. Under some grazing circumstances, the energy cost associated with walking can have an appreciable effect on the energy requirements. Muscle is the primary tissue involved in physical activity. Its physiology and mechanical functions are affected by different factors and can even change along the life of the animal. This affects the efficiency of energy utilization. The usual method of determining the energy cost of locomotion has been the combined use of calorimeters and treadmills but not too much research has been done in this area with small ruminants, particularly goats. Even if the accuracy in the determination of the energy cost of locomotion is a vital point, it is not less important to achieve an equivalent level of accuracy in the methods to be applied to determine the distance travelled. Further investigation is needed to improve existing techniques and develop new ones for application to animals in open range systems in order to accurately assess their energy requirements. This will contribute to significant improvements in models of grazing systems.
The objective of this paper is to contribute to progress in the choices of strategies for further development of goat farming in the 21st century. During the last 20 years, the number of goats around the world increased (by about 60%) not only in the countries with low income (75%) but also in those with high (20%) or intermediate (25%) income. This situation is due to the capacity for adaptation by goats to very different environments, to the development of goat farming in developing countries where subsistence farming, barter economy and community culture are important, and where the market economy is relatively limited, and to the ecological image of goat farming and products in developed countries. Goat farming is in a good position to pursue its development in the 21st century, if a satisfactory policy is applied tactfully. For that, the factors explaining goat farming success during the end of the 20th century must be maintained and developed as the social aspects of goat farming in developing and developed countries, particularly in land management and the sociological integration into an economically sustainable life. Moreover we have to improve or maintain the good image of goat products. The two main improvements to bring into goat farming in the 21st century concern research organisations, which must encounter the needs of goat farmers and be well adapted to different production systems in order to lower the research deficit in the goat sector, and investments for better supplies particularly to the poor goat farmers.
Mouthful grass intake varied widely from season to season, with minimal values in winter (0.09 g DM) that increased to 0.51 g DM in Spring and decreased in Summer (0.21 g DM). Mouthful intake for shrubby species ranged between lowest for Cistus salvifolius (0.16-0.33 g DM) to C. ladanifer (0.95-3.57 g DM), followed by C. albidus (0.33-1.46 g DM). Quercus rotundifolia was the most frequently ingested arboreal species throughout the year, although the maximum DM content per mouthful (1.58 g) was for Olea europaea. These results show that the greatest weight per mouthful of grass was in spring. The largest amount of DM on a year-round basis was provided by the shrub (C. ladanifer, and the tree O. europaea. Differences in DM intake per mouthful for each species suggest that studies of comparative palatability based on grazing time or number of mouthfuls may lead to errors when estimating actual DM intake for different species studied. Such estimates should be corrected in the light of relative weight per mouthful for each food species.
Seventy full lactations of Payoya dairy goats were used to study the effect of two different kid-rearing systems, natural or artificial, on milk yield, composition, hygiene-sanitary quality, kid growth and rearing cost. Two animal groups were established, one with goats under natural rearing (NS) and the other under artificial rearing (AR). In the NS group, the kids had free access to goat milk 18–20h a day and were suckled up to 5 weeks of age and then the dams were milked twice daily. Dams in the AR were separated from their kids at 48h post-partum; then, kids were reared artificially, and the dams were milked twice daily. The number of animals used in each type of rearing system was 35 (23 goats giving birth to twins and 12 goats giving birth to a single kid). Each week during suckling phase the volume of milk produced was measured, and individual samples were taken. From 5th week and until 210 days lactation, test-day yields recorded at intervals of 30±3 days were obtained. The chemical composition of the milk, the bacteriology, and the somatic cell count was analyzed. The kids of both sexes were assigned to two groups, natural suckling (NS, n=58) and ad libitum artificial rearing (AR, n=58). Within each treatment, two groups of kids were formed depending on prolificacy: first group with kids from single birth (n=12) and the second with twin kids (n=46). Birth weight and weight every week upto the 4th week of life were recorded. During the 5 weeks of lactation the total milk yield per goat was higher for the NS group (140.2L vs. 95.4L; P
Innovation in feeding systems involves replacing conventional feeds with alternatives and, in many cases, the modification of distribution devices. The labour demand of feeding management is one of the basic limitations faced by meat sheep production in Spain and other Mediterranean countries. In the region of Aragón, a sheep farmers cooperative has designed a new feeding technology for self-service complete-diet feed (SSCDF) rations. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the effects of the adoption of the new SSCDF system and (ii) to assess its economic viability in farms that used traditional feeding systems. For the first objective, all of the farms (n=23) that used this system for more than 3 years were assessed directly using a questionnaire. In addition, we analysed the information obtained from a sample of 79 meat sheep farms that did not use the SSCDF (all 102 farms were participating in a technical-economic data network of the cooperative aforementioned). In order to assess the economic implications of adopting SSCDF, a typology was established using multivariate analysis with structural indicators, feeding costs and reproductive variables. Finally, an economic study was carried out for each type considering four different scenarios. Almost all farmers that adopted the SSCDF system felt an improvement in their quality of life. However, the new technology was not advisable on all types of farms from the economic point of view. In general, the greatest economic profitability was obtained if the implementation of SSCDF reduced labour requirements and increased technical performance; however, if the SSCDF implied only a reduction of labour requirements, Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return were considerably lower for all types of farms and, in some cases, the investment was not justified. Our study showed that the adoption of the SSCDF led to positive changes in farm structure, particularly in terms of flock size, and could contribute to the social sustainability of sheep farms in the region. The economic interest of adopting this feeding system depended largely on the expected improvements of technical results and on the increment of feeding costs that SSCDF involved.
Andalusia is the second goat milk-producing region in Europe and therefore pastoral goat systems are important. In order to maintain these types of systems it is necessary to know precisely how they work and what actions can be taken to improve them. In this study the authors have set out the following objectives: (i) to characterize and analyze the viability of pastoral dairy goat systems in Andalusia, (ii) to use the results of this characterization and analysis to suggest improvements to these systems and (iii) to evaluate the suitability of the FAO-CIHEAM set of indicators for dairy goat systems linked to grazing. After carrying out a multivariate analysis using data collected in 18 farms during 2006, results point to 69.3% of variance, which is explained by two principal components (PC). The first includes Number of goats present, Milk yield per goat per year, Proportion of milk produced in autumn, Concentrate consumed per goat per year and Total labor per 100 goats. The second has Total area per goat, Scrubland area per goat and Forage consumed per goat per year. Based on these two principal components, farms have been classified into three groups, each of them using different strategies to maintain economic viability. The FAO-CIHEAM set of indicators for sheep and goat production systems is valid when analyzing pastoral dairy goat systems in Andalusia. However, some indicators need to be adjusted, particularly those pertaining to certain technical and economic aspects of grazing areas and seasonal variations.
SUMMARY - With the aim of adapting the FAO/CIHEAM indices to the intensive system in western Andalusia, different flocks of dairy goats in the provinces of Cordoba and Seville have been studied. COVAP (Cooperativa del Valle de los Pedroches) data files and active inquiries to farmers (Murciano-Granadina breeders) have been used. Only one representative herd belonging to ACRIFLOR (Asociación Nacional de Criadores de Ganado Caprino de Raza Florida) has been included in the present study. All the studied farms are family-run and operate under intensive conditions even though they have a different number of goats. The technical and economic indices resulting from the study are positive, although greater cost-effectiveness is observed in larger flocks. The future of these farms is assured under the present conditions, that is, with similar milk prices and feeding costs, even without the support of European subsidies.
The structure and typology of beef cattle farms from three autochthonous Spanish breeds (Avileña–Negra Ibérica, Morucha and Retinta) located in “dehesa” areas have been characterised from a survey including 130 farms. The questionnaire provided information on the structure of the farms, feeding practices, reproductive and sanitary management, production and commercialisation of the product. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis (multiple correspondences analysis and cluster analysis) were used to understand the relationships between variables and to establish farm typologies. We have found that the farms are large (an average of 125 cows and 548 ha), with an average stocking rate of 0.4 livestock unit/ha of agricultural area. Most of the farms are family managed, but with an important presence of external employees. Feeding depends largely on grazing, with seasonal supplementation. The presence of other livestock species, such horses, sheep and swine is frequent. The typology of the farms has been established on the basis of (1) farm size, (2) productivity of labour, (3) degree of specialisation, and (4) degree of extensification. Three groups of farms have been differentiated. The first group has followed a strategy of intensification of the system and includes the smallest farms. The second group is constituted by farms of intermediate size, very specialised in beef production. The third group includes large farms that have followed a strategy of extensification, complementing farm incomes by the exploitation of other livestock species.
European sheep and goat production, in the Mediterranean areas represent important economic, environmental and sociological issues. Our article aims at comparing the situation of the main small ruminant systems in South European regions (Spain, France, Italy and Greece), and their possible future evolution.
On the average, the income of milk systems tends to be higher than meat systems thanks to a good market price. Moreover, the dependence on subsidies is greater in meat systems and in extensive systems. However, milk systems seem more sensitive to the market situation for example, Italian products in the USA and products from Greece with respect to certain foreign companies.
Sheep and goat production, being frequently the only possible enterprises in less favoured areas, are often fundamental to maintaining social activities and to keep the vegetation out of danger from fire. However, in Greece and Spain some intensive systems are becoming established in the more fertile plain areas.
The roads to success are rather uncertain considering the new CAP reform as nearly all these systems seem to be dependent on the important European subsidies. Nevertheless, we have identified different ways to progress according to systems and regions. Such an uncertain future could be easier to forecast if those involved in the sheep and goat sectors worked more collectively in Europe.
In June 2003, the EU approved a very important reform of the CAP that will strongly affect the entire European agriculture.
This paper analyses the major issues related to the effects of the evolution of the Common Agricultural Policy on the sheep and goat sectors, and especially the possible direct and indirect effects of the last reform in terms of accelerating or decelerating the loss of biodiversity due to the extinction of breeds.
In fact, the single farm payment, fully or partly decoupled from any production, will include from 50% to 100% of the present amount of aid paid to sheep and goat breeders, according to decisions to be taken by each Member State. These decisions could deeply affect breeders’ economic interests in continuing to breed sheep and goats or not.
On the other hand, new regulations will also allow Member States to introduce supplementary premium in case of transhumance, and/or for preserving rare breeds, and/or for promoting high-quality food products which could be obtained from these breeds. These policy tools, together with the increased amount of money available for rural development could balance, at least theoretically, negative effects due to the application of decoupled aid. On the other hand, previous experiences show that these tools have not been used with efficacy in order to preserve endangered breeds. Therefore, new attention and new procedure are suggested in order to overcome these limitation and to improve in situ preservation of rare breeds.
The research was carried out in the “Sierra y Cañones de Guara” Natural Park, a protected mountain area located in the Central
Pyrenees (Huesca, Spain). In this territory, a notorious recession of agricultural activities has been observed in recent decades, which has
originated changes in the type and intensity of land utilization and, simultaneously, led to environmental and landscape degradation.
The main goal of this research was to analyse what characteristics of the current sheep farming systems could explain different
patterns of utilization of the grazing resources. Information was obtained through direct interviews with all sheep farmers that used
the grazing resources of the Park in 2000 (n=53). Specific information on grazing management (grazing areas, grazing periods,
number and type of grazing animals) was collected together with data on family characteristics, labour, flock management, land
use, continuity, recent changes in farming and farmers opinions. Principal Components Analysis was used to examine relationships
among original variables. Farming systems were then characterized in four homogeneous groups using Cluster Analysis. Finally, a
Logistic Regression allowed determining relationships between the level of intensification of management and several social and
technical features.
Intensification of farm management was linked to the type and intensity of land utilization: the higher the intensification of the
reproduction system the shorter the grazing period and the lower number of grazing animals. Besides, chances of continuity were
critical in some groups of farms, especially in some of the most extensive ones, while many farms with good chances of
permanence showed more intensive management strategies but lower utilization of grazing resources. In this type of agroecosystems,
rural development policies with conservation purposes should focus on farming systems with more environmentally
desirable management strategies, and consequently enhance their chances of continuity.
a b s t r a c t This article presents the evolution, actual situation and prospects for goat production sys-tems in Spain, taking into account the present day changes of socio-economic, technological and agricultural policies of the European Union (EU). Spain is ranked second in goat pop-ulation and third in goat milk yield within the EU, nevertheless, similar to the situation in the EU, the goat production systems in Spain are in a critical situation, basically because of the increasing production costs and the lack of a strong central structure in this sector. To improve viability of goat farms in Spain, which, for the most part play an important social and environmental role in the less-developed rural areas, it is necessary to establish a series of strategies. These strategies include: (i) strengthening of the central structure in the sector; (ii) improvement in the training and management capacity of goat farmers and cheese makers; (iii) enhancement of promotion and recognition of goat-related products; (iv) taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the new European Union Common Agricultural Policy; (v) improvement of farmers' quality of life, so that they can maintain their goat operations for future generations; and (vi) increasing development and research activities in this sub-sector of livestock farming.
The preservation of the biodiversity of animal breeds is an important condition to maintain the ability of animal production to adapt to the changing conditions of breeding and production systems in the future. The decrease of the number of animal breeds has been observed both for sheep, cattle and goats in relation with the standardisation and intensification of animal production systems. Goats are mainly concerned by the situation as they have the biggest increase in livestock numbers in 20 years. A global overlook of goats worldwide is showing a contradictory situation: On one hand, small but well organised sectors have developed in a few countries for milk and cheese, meat and fibre production. On the other hand, most of the goats are mostly still used for auto consumption of milk meat and skin or fibres in village herds. The present goat genetic situation is the direct consequence of this evolution with the high specialisation of a small number of selected and well characterised breeds for milk, meat and fibres and a majority of not well defined populations and local breeds, generally without selection schemes and organisation. A global panorama of the main families and breeds is presented. A special consideration is then pointed on the necessary financial and logistic conditions to achieve successively these selection objectives. After having observed that in many cases these conditions are not present, this report concludes by some proposals to control better the possibilities of success and express with more efficiency the genetic potentiality of this interesting species.
In the past 30 years world production of ruminant meat and milk has increased by about 40%, while the global area of grassland has increased by only 4%. This is because most of the increase in ruminant meat and milk production has been achieved by increasing the production in mixed and landless production systems and much less so in pastoral systems. Pastoral systems depend almost exclusively on grazing, while mixed and landless systems rely on a mix of concentrates (food crops) and roughage, consisting of grass, fodder crops, crop residues, and other sources of feedstuffs. A model was developed to describe these two aggregated production systems for different world regions, each having typical production characteristics, such as milk production per animal for dairy cattle, and off-take rates and carcass weights for non-dairy cattle, sheep and goats. The energy needed by the animals for the production of meat and milk is calculated on the basis of requirements for maintenance, grazing and labour, pregnancy, and lactation. We implemented the FAO Agriculture Towards 2030 projection for crop and livestock production and assumed that the past trend in the area of grassland will continue in the coming three decades. This assumption implies a rapid intensification of grassland management with a 33% increase in global grass consumption, which will only be possible with increasing fertilizer inputs, use of grass-clover mixtures and improved grassland management.
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