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

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

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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 alesmith tower of flower 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 inputs/self-sufficiency, which included the use of on-farm feeds, the amount of variable costs per ewe and economic performance; productivity, which included lamb productivity and economic autonomy; and productive orientation, which included caramilk latte the degree of specialisation in production.A cluster analysis identified the following four groups of farms: high-input intensive system; low-input self-sufficient system; specialised livestock system; and diversified crops-livestock system.

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.