Role of self-sufficiency, productivity and diversification on the economic sustainability of farming systems with autochthonous sheep breeds in less favoured areas in Southern Europe. (4th April 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ripoll-Bosch, R.; Joy, M.; Bernués, A.
• Is Part Of: Animal. Volume 8:Number 8(2014:Aug.)
• Page Start: 1229
• Page End: 1237
• Publication Date: 2013-04-04
• Subjects: Animal breeding -- Periodicals; Animal genetics -- Periodicals; Animal nutrition -- Periodicals; Animal physiology -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; 636.005
• DOI: 10.1017/S1751731113000529
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-7311

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title> <x content-type="archive" xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Traditional mixed livestock cereal- and pasture-based sheep farming systems in Europe are threatened by intensification and specialisation processes. However, the intensification process does not always yield improved economic results or efficiency. This study involved a group of farmers that raised an autochthonous sheep breed (Ojinegra de Teruel) in an unfavourable area of North-East Spain. This study aimed to typify the farms and elucidate the existing links between economic performance and certain sustainability indicators (i.e. productivity, self-sufficiency and diversification). Information was obtained through direct interviews with 30 farms (73% of the farmers belonging to the breeders association). Interviews were conducted in 2009 and involved 32 indicators regarding farm structure, management and economic performance. With a principal component analysis, three factors were obtained explaining 77.9% of the original variance. This factors were named as <italic>inputs/self-sufficiency</italic>, which included the use of on-farm feeds, the amount of variable costs per ewe and economic performance; <italic>productivity</italic>, which included lamb productivity and economic autonomy; and <italic>productive orientation</italic>, which included the degree of specialisation in production. A cluster analysis identified the following four groups of farms: <italic>high-input intensive system</italic>; <italic>low-input self-sufficient system</italic>; <italic>specialised livestock system</italic>; and <italic>diversified crops-livestock system</italic>. In conclusion, despite the large variability between and within groups, the following factors that explain the economic profitability of farms were identified: (i) high feed self-sufficiency and low variable costs enhance the economic performance (per labour unit) of the farms; (ii) animal productivity reduces subsidy dependence, but does not necessarily imply better economic performance; and (iii) diversity of production enhances farm flexibility, but is not related to economic performance.</p> </abstract>