Qual foi o desafio/problema abordado?

Livestock farmers in Crete face considerable challenges in maintaining their farms’ competitiveness. Island environment entails increased input costs for feed, veterinary medicines, fuel etc. The local geomorphological background of the steep terrain, with its poor and degraded pastures, adds further degrees of difficulty to practicing animal farming.

This project- which is a collaboration of the Agricultural Cooperative of Sfakia and local breeders with the Agricultural University of Athens- focuses on flocks of indigenous breeds (including the breeds Sfakion, Asterousion, Sitias and Anogion), which is a valuable livestock resource and a pillar for local farms’ sustainability. The project aims at the restriction of farms’ inputs, the rational feed management and pasture management, the improvement of animal productivity as well as ensuring products’ quality and traceability in terms of their farm of origin.

 

Como você resolveu o problema?

A sequence of actions will be undertaken by the partnership of the University researches, the advisors employed by the Cooperative and local breeders. Firstly, the phenotype and genotype of each breed will be determined. Then special sensors will be fitted to individual animals, thus, making easy the identification and monitoring of animals throughout the whole production cycle (por exemplo. when moving with the herd to grazing, etc.). An economic and zootechnical study will be carried out with the aim of establishing a standard for certifying each local breed and also comparing their performance with foreign breeds (inputs/outputs ratio per farm). Laboratory analyses will be carried out to determine the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of products (including nutritional value and organoleptic characteristics).

Standards will be developed for the management/rearing of indigenous breeds, which will be used for the marketing of dairy and meat products. Training events for breeders and communication and dissemination events will be organize at local and regional level.

 

O que há de inovador no seu caso prático?

The project introduces new technologies and practices in sheep and goat breeding in the area. Contudo, their implementation and full utilization require the uptake of new knowledge and skills from the breeders, who have to establish new routines at their farms. In this respect, the project combines characteristics of a technical and organizational/ social innovation.

Quais são os fatores de sucesso na resolução do problema?

Establishing communication channels and building trust with breeders are key to achieving the objectives of the project.

Lições aprendidas

Since it is the first year of the project, it is too early to draw conclusions.

Qual o papel do consultor ou serviço de consultoria no caso prático?

The role of advisors focus on building communication channels between breeders and researchers, translating new knowledge and improving breeders’ capacity to implement the new managerial standards and the ensuing best practices. Their role is important in increasing awareness and further disseminating the result of the project at local and regional level.

Sua abordagem pode ser transferida e / ou adaptada para outros desafios de inovação e regiões?

sim

Transferibilidade estimada em uma escala de 1 Ir para o conteúdo 5

(Onde 1 é fácil e 5 muito difícil)

1

 

Por compartilhar a experiência sobre as boas práticas, entre em contato

Iosif Βizelis

jmpiz@aua.gr

Link para informações externas