ABOUT US

Drought and salinity are among the dominant environmental problems in a context of climate change. Coastal regions of the Mediterranean area are affected by aridity, water, soil Salinization, and rise of sea levels. Saline wetlands are extending in the detriment of arable lands and natural vegetation, which increases human food and economic vulnerability. The saline lands are characterized by the expansion and invasion of adapted halophile communities. Sheep and goat populations reared near to sea areas are very well adapted to the high salinity, dry and high temperature environments, consuming a wide range of halophytes. Some of these halophytes accumulate antioxidants and minerals that could be benefic for reproduction, immune system, health and product quality. However, others can be toxic for animals and/or invasive. With climate change, invasive species is a real danger to flora diversity and balance of ecosystems. Grazing may reduce their negative effects and the spread of some invasive species, but it can endanger even more flora diversity. Climate change will affect livestock production through competition for natural resources, quantity and quality of feeds, livestock diseases, heat stress and biodiversity loss. Therefore, the challenge is to maintain a balance between productivity, household food security, and environmental preservation in such vulnerable regions. Sustainable valorisation of saline areas can be a way to ensure incomes from small ruminant activities and can contribute to improve life quality in these saline areas. Integration of Agro-ecological practices in sheep/goat production system based on the valorisation of saline area (HaloSheep) will assure sustainability and promote ecotourism at a long term.

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Period of Implementation
May 2, 2022 - Oct 31, 2025
Total Budget
EUR 646,127.00

Project team

Partners

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OUR IMPACT

Goals

Develop sustainable agro-ecological sheep/goat farming system in saline area of coastal regions, threatened by climate change, salinization of water and soil, anthropogenic pressures, biological invasions, and extinction of native species

Objectives

HaloSheep aims to characterize and describe small ruminant production systems based on halophytes and propose agroecological practices and innovations to improve its socio-economic and environmental sustainability in three mediterranean coastal regions. Eight specific objectives are set : 1/ Analyse the spatio-temporal flora diversity to identify the most valuable pasture resources and model some species dynamic in a context of climate change. 2/ Develop sustainable feeding systems, based mainly on local feed resources and halophytes 3/ Evaluate the importance of sheep/goat production in saline areas 4/ Assess the genetic diversity of native sheep/goat breeds and investigate the signature selection traces to increase small ruminant resilience under a climate change context . 5/ Identify and assess risk factors for animal health and welfare in the areas under study to promote best practices for livestock health and welfare 6/ Analyse meat and milk quality produced in the HaloSheep agroecosystem studied areas and investigate the opportunity of labelling these products 7/ Study socio-economic and environmental sustainability of the HaloSheep agroecosystem to highlight the potential increase of income for sheep and goat farms in the saline deprived areas 8/ Promote HaloSheep agroecosystem principles and best practices

Intervention Strategy(ies)

The project is based on a multidisciplinary approach considering soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, plant-animal-human food chain, and socio-environmental constraints. It is carried out according to a methodology which integrates the interactions between the plant, animal, human and his environment and by adopting the theory of change. Six Mediterranean countries (Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, Italy, France, Spain) are involved and three of them were targeted (Tunisia, Greece, Turkey) as they are characterized by a high risk of salinity and drought. In these regions, three locations are chosen and are concerned by the prototype study. A prospecting survey will be carried to study the existing production systems, their durability and assess the importance of the small ruminant breeding activity. Genetic small ruminant diversity will be evaluated to identify alleles that could contribute to adaptation to harsh conditions. The local feed resources will be characterized for their chemical composition and nutritive values. The interactions between the different components of the system will be evaluated. Flora diversity and their evolution with climate change will be analysed and feeding behavior will be monitored to identify most palatable halophyte species. Effects of halophytes on welfare and animal health will be performed using innovative precision tools, to assess risk factors. Meat and milk quality will be evaluated for labelling possibilities. HaloSheep best practices for a more sustainable feeding system and welfare and health management under stressed conditions will be proposed. Impacts on farmer income and on socio-economic and environmental sustainability will be assessed.

Impact Pathway

HaloSheep project will impacts at the short and long terms, it will increase knowledge concerning the genetic diversity of local breeds, their adaptation capacity to salinity, higher temperature and their phenotypic traits and provide a longer-term impact as a basis for the sustainable development of small ruminant system. It will improve knowledge about extremophile flora, represented by halophytes and their possible adaptation with Climate change. The project is expected to help local communities to develop farms based on local breeds in order not only to increase production by terms of yields but also by terms of better-quality products and better biodiversity and environment management. HaloSheep will propose solutions for sustainable feeding system, based on an optimal valorisation of spontaneous halophytes and local feeds. Best practices for welfare and health management, based on reducing chemical inputs and use of natural compounds from halophytes will be proposed. The sustainability and viability of the farms could be achieved, with parallel amelioration of farmers ‘income. HaloSheep will encourage consumption of milk and meat produced according to agroecological and sustainable practices.

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