Sustainability of sheep and goat production in North European countries—From the Arctic to the Alps

Dýrmundsson, Ó. R.

doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2005.08.010

Cited by 45 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…There- Table 2 Local sensitivity analysis (one-parameter-at-a-time) of the main state variables of the model to +/− 10% and +/−50% variation of the parameter values. fore, the importance of the socioeconomic situation in relation to land use change is generally recognized (Brandt et al, 1999): the direct aid to cereal areas and to some grazing animals into single payments to farmers, which are decoupled from production, resulted in land owners that have tended to replace sheep and goats with cattle, which in last 16 years increased its numbers by 2.5 times due to CAP support (Dýrmundsson, 2004;Pinto-Correia and Godinho, 2013;Pinto-Correia et al, 2014;Viegas et al, 2014). After the abandonment of cereal crops and livestock rearing, during the 70's, shrub clearing and rotational ploughing became common practices to control shrub invasion, to promote pasture production and prevent fire (Pignatti, 1983;Pulido et al, 2001;Plieninger et al, 2003Plieninger et al, , 2004Plieninger et al, , 2005.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term sustainability of cork oak agro-forests in the Iberian Peninsula: A model-based approach aimed at supporting the best management options for the montado conservation

Arosa

Bastos

Cabral

et al. 2017

Ecological Modelling

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a b s t r a c tThe future of the montado, a human shaped agro-forestry ecosystem of South Western Europe, is questioned due to the observed lack of cork oak health and low natural regeneration. We developed a System Dynamics Modelling approach to predict the long-term sustainability of this agro-forest, by recreating cork-oak population dynamics, management practices and the main environmental and biological constrains associated with this ecosystem. Our results indicate that the leading limitations to cork oak regeneration in montado ecosystems result from the intensity and interaction of land management practices, namely livestock and the use of heavy machinery. The main conclusions indicate that limiting the quantity of livestock up to 0.40 LU.ha −1 , and considering soil ploughing with a minimum periodicity of 5 years, are crucial to maintaining sustainable cork oak populations. This study represents a first step to support strategic options for cork oak montado management by providing projections of long-term population trends under realistic social-ecological change scenarios.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term sustainability of cork oak agro-forests in the Iberian Peninsula: A model-based approach aimed at supporting the best management options for the montado conservation

Arosa

Bastos

Cabral

et al. 2017

Ecological Modelling

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“…Nevertheless, the income provided by ecologically sustainable low-input goat systems may be insufficient to sustain the next generation, so there is a greater risk of becoming marginalized (e.g. de Rancourt et al, 2006;Dýrmundsson, 2006;Peacok and Sherman, 2010). In addition, further increases of the productivity in certain areas are limited by the carrying capacity of the land, nutritive quality of the vegetation and sustainability, environmental protection, animal health, animal welfare or product quality (Dýrmundsson, 2006).…”

Section: Future Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…de Rancourt et al, 2006;Dýrmundsson, 2006;Peacok and Sherman, 2010). In addition, further increases of the productivity in certain areas are limited by the carrying capacity of the land, nutritive quality of the vegetation and sustainability, environmental protection, animal health, animal welfare or product quality (Dýrmundsson, 2006). Nevertheless, goat systems might have a chance in new niche markets that demand high quality products such as cheese, yogurt, goat-milk soap, and high quality textile fibre, which may also help to maintain traditional farming in harmony with the needs of landscapes and habitat conservation (Boyazoglu and Morand-Fehr, 2001;Lu et al, 2010).…”

Section: Future Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Goat grazing, its interactions with other herbivores and biodiversity conservation issues

García

Celaya

García

et al. 2012

Small Ruminant Research

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a b s t r a c tGoats have developed in harmony with local conditions of climate, terrain, vegetation, and even pathogens over centuries in many areas, while they have been blamed of causing environment degradation in other ones. The paper summarizes the situation of goat's population worldwide, the status of the breeds and the multiple implications of their conservation, the interactions of goats with other animal species (wild or domestic) and the main issues regarding the consequences of goat grazing from the environmental point of view. It underlines that most of the environmentally harmful effects of goat grazing arise from improper management practices at very high grazing pressures whereas goat grazing can be a useful tool for conservation if managed adequately. Moderate grazing pressures can be compatible with high levels of biodiversity and provide externalities, whereas high intensity at short term can be a valuable tool for weed control. Goat genetic heritage is seriously threatened and requires more studies and greater support from national and international institutions, in parallel with other efforts in rural development, especially for remote areas which hold an outstanding reservoir of livestock diversity adapted to the local conditions and managed by impoverished communities. A multidisciplinary approach of scientists, policy makers, rangeland managers and local communities is required for the design of future sustainable management plans.

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“…increase the sheep flock, only if and then it is needed for satisfying the goals. Not only in Sweden but generally in Northern Europe (Dýrmundsson, 2006) there will probably be a development to larger flocks where conditions are favorable, and a trend towards part time flocks using cheap existing resources in other cases. But cheap existing resources do not last for ever so building up large flocks deriving advantage from economies of scale is important for an economically sustainable lamb production.…”

Section: Mostly Small Flocks Despite Economies Of Scalementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Not only Swedish but generally North European lamb production will have severe difficulties to compete with import from e.g. New Zealand on a more deregulated world market if the cost of production is not decreased considerably (Dýrmundsson, 2006). The EU policy reform (CAP) with decoupling of subsidies from production makes cost reductions still more important.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Profitable Swedish lamb production by economies of scale

Kumm

2009

Small Ruminant Research

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Economic sustainability assumes profitability (revenues ≥ costs including annual cash expenses as well as family labor and investments). Calculations suggest that sheep flocks of more than 500 ewes can be profitable under Swedish conditions whereas smaller flocks are unprofitable unless they are managed by cheap existing resources including buildings, fences, machinery and family labor with low or no opportunity costs. Despite this economies of scale less than 1 % of the Swedish sheep flocks have 500 or more ewes. Possible reasons are, according to interviews with lamb producers which have built up for Swedish conditions large sheep flocks of 90-900 ewes (average 380), growth sacrifices when developing large flocks and lack of accessible cheap land for providing large flocks with pasture and winter forage. The growth sacrifices reducing revenues or increasing costs during or immediately after the growth period include low production of primiparous ewes, reclamation of additional land and capital costs of new buildings before the flock has been expanded to the intended number. The chas-flow is another problem for expanding sheep operations.Profitable lamb production presupposes large areas of land with zero or low opportunity costs. In fertile flatlands the opportunity costs are too high and in forest dominated regions it is difficult to get hold of large enough areas near the farm centre for pasture and winter feed production. The latter problem can be solved by leasing cheap land further away and transporting feed and grazing animals, and by extending present pastures by incorporating adjacent overgrown pastures, marginal arable land and forest land. Another requirement for long-term profitable lamb production is to reduce the costs of new sheep sheds below what is a common cost level in Sweden.

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Sustainability of sheep and goat production in North European countries—From the Arctic to the Alps

Cited by 45 publications

References 3 publications

Long-term sustainability of cork oak agro-forests in the Iberian Peninsula: A model-based approach aimed at supporting the best management options for the montado conservation

Long-term sustainability of cork oak agro-forests in the Iberian Peninsula: A model-based approach aimed at supporting the best management options for the montado conservation

Goat grazing, its interactions with other herbivores and biodiversity conservation issues

Profitable Swedish lamb production by economies of scale

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