Periodic Reporting for period 3 - EuroSheep (European Network for interactive and innovative knowledge exchange on animal health and nutrition between the sheep industry actors and stakeholders)
Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2023-06-30
Sheep meat and milk production is an important agricultural sector in European Union and neighbouring countries. Despite a 50 % decline in the sheep sector since 2000, European Union is still home to 85 million sheep on 830 000 farms. Efforts to increase the sustainability of the production are high on the EU agenda.
The EU-funded EuroSheep project has creating a self-sustained EU/international network on 'sheep profitability through health and nutrition'. It facilitated knowledge exchange among diverse stakeholders and disseminate best practices. The project also bring together experts through a transdisciplinary approach in sheep production, taking into consideration aspects related to animal health and nutrition, grassland management, precision livestock farming, breeding and genetics, as well as sociology and economics.
Therefore, EuroSheep aims to:
• Establish a network of regional/national/European and international actors and stakeholders in the sheep industry to foster a cross-fertilisation approach and lay the foundation of efficient knowledge dissemination.
• Assess practitioners’ needs (farmers, advisors, economic actors…) and interests as well as uptake, and identify factors influencing user acceptance taking into account regional/national specificities of the AKIS.
• Create a knowledge reservoir of useful and usable Best Practices and innovations ready to be put in practice from the large available range of practitioners’ experience and research.
• Ensure wide dissemination to the relevant Actors and stakeholders.
• Link EuroSheep network and its knowledge reservoir production with EIP-Agri and policy makers
To do so, EuroSheep has set up a specific organisation centred on one network facilitator (NF) in each partner country. Each NF was in charge of implementing all Network tasks in its own country with the support of a Scientific and Technical Working Group (STWG) and of a Sheep-AKIS composed of stakeholders. The involvement of stakeholders in Sheep-AKIS is based on existing networks such as Operational Groups.
The methodology is based on 3 key elements working in coordination to ensure multi-stakeholders’ interaction, exchange of information and knowledge generation:
1. A Network Facilitator* (NF), one person per country
2. Scientific and Technical Working Groups** (STWG) in each country
3. SheepAKIS composed of relevant national organisations and networks with wide stakeholders’ representativeness (economic, technical…) and EIP-AGRI Operational Groups (EIP OG).
The structure is implemented and presented in the image “EuroSheep Structure” in each participating country.
The EU-funded EuroSheep project has creating a self-sustained EU/international network on 'sheep profitability through health and nutrition'. It facilitated knowledge exchange among diverse stakeholders and disseminate best practices. The project also bring together experts through a transdisciplinary approach in sheep production, taking into consideration aspects related to animal health and nutrition, grassland management, precision livestock farming, breeding and genetics, as well as sociology and economics.
Therefore, EuroSheep aims to:
• Establish a network of regional/national/European and international actors and stakeholders in the sheep industry to foster a cross-fertilisation approach and lay the foundation of efficient knowledge dissemination.
• Assess practitioners’ needs (farmers, advisors, economic actors…) and interests as well as uptake, and identify factors influencing user acceptance taking into account regional/national specificities of the AKIS.
• Create a knowledge reservoir of useful and usable Best Practices and innovations ready to be put in practice from the large available range of practitioners’ experience and research.
• Ensure wide dissemination to the relevant Actors and stakeholders.
• Link EuroSheep network and its knowledge reservoir production with EIP-Agri and policy makers
To do so, EuroSheep has set up a specific organisation centred on one network facilitator (NF) in each partner country. Each NF was in charge of implementing all Network tasks in its own country with the support of a Scientific and Technical Working Group (STWG) and of a Sheep-AKIS composed of stakeholders. The involvement of stakeholders in Sheep-AKIS is based on existing networks such as Operational Groups.
The methodology is based on 3 key elements working in coordination to ensure multi-stakeholders’ interaction, exchange of information and knowledge generation:
1. A Network Facilitator* (NF), one person per country
2. Scientific and Technical Working Groups** (STWG) in each country
3. SheepAKIS composed of relevant national organisations and networks with wide stakeholders’ representativeness (economic, technical…) and EIP-AGRI Operational Groups (EIP OG).
The structure is implemented and presented in the image “EuroSheep Structure” in each participating country.
Eurosheep was built on 6 steps, and the work was undertaken with the participation of farmers’ networks or European Innovation Partnership Operational Groups.
The six EuroSheep steps were as follows:
1 validation of the farmers’ needs
2 pool of best practices and solutions
3 selection of solutions to be evaluated and tested
4 sustainability analyses of the solutions
5 collecting the end users feedback
6 knowledge transfer and exchange, identification of research gaps
Sheep farmers’ main needs
Thanks to an online survey, 61 nutrition and health management needs were identified by the 8 partner countries. In Europe, the main needs were: knowledge of animal nutritional requirements, grassland and grazing management, mastitis, lameness and internal parasitism management.
Practical solutions, Tips and Tricks and Factsheets
To meet these needs, the farmers, technicians, advisors and researchers participating in the network produced 96 practical solutions, 55 tips and tricks and 26 technical factsheets.
These solutions can be downloaded from the www.eurosheep.network
Sustainability analysis of the solutions
In line with the selection of solutions made by farmers and advisors, the project’s technical and scientific groups undertook sustainability analysis, including: technical-economic, social and environmental factors, for 51 solutions. The main impacts of the EuroSheep solutions are : to increase outputs, to improve animal welfare, to improve farm image and to increase feed efficiency.
The solutions end-users assessments
Following the implementation of 51 of the solutions on commercial and experimental farms, 167 end user assessments (evaluations) were completed by farmers, advisors and other stakeholders. Thirty-eight of these solutions received good evaluations, 3 solutions were not deemed satisfactory by the evaluators in their circumstances and 10 solutions received mixed reviews, depending on the context of system that they had been evaluated in.
Conclusions and outlook
We undertook a cross-analysis of the needs, solutions, factsheets and tips and tricks proposed, to assess which needs were not addressed, and where further research would be warranted. The main gap concerned the rearing of ewe lambs to ensure robustness of the breed, and the nutritional requirements of females during their first gestation and lactation. In terms of health, the heterogeneity of the countries regarding the availability/access to some medicines, or to laboratory for analysis, can limit the implementation of some practical solutions.
Finally, many of the proposed solutions are worth being implemented in different countries, but may require small adaptations, due to different local environment and system of production. It is therefore important to continue disseminating and promoting the re-appropriation of EuroSheep best practices in existing advisory and development organisations. There should be a continued dissemination of the EuroSheep solutions, tips and tricks and factsheets because of their relevance to improving profitability of sheep systems across Europe.
The work was performed in each country with the support of the Sheep-AKIS and the STWG, in a multi-actor and cross-fertilisation approach and shared during the different series of national workshops and transnational workshops with a strong participation and involvement of stakeholders.
For a better and wider communication and dissemination, the EuroSheep Community Platform (www.eurosheep.network) has been setup in 7 languages as well as the social media such as Twitter (@EuroSheepEU), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EuroSheep/(opens in new window)) and Instagram (eurosheepeu)) have been frequently used. Videos have also been realised to advertise EuroSheep. All videos are on the EuroSheep YouTube channel (EuroSheep EU).
The six EuroSheep steps were as follows:
1 validation of the farmers’ needs
2 pool of best practices and solutions
3 selection of solutions to be evaluated and tested
4 sustainability analyses of the solutions
5 collecting the end users feedback
6 knowledge transfer and exchange, identification of research gaps
Sheep farmers’ main needs
Thanks to an online survey, 61 nutrition and health management needs were identified by the 8 partner countries. In Europe, the main needs were: knowledge of animal nutritional requirements, grassland and grazing management, mastitis, lameness and internal parasitism management.
Practical solutions, Tips and Tricks and Factsheets
To meet these needs, the farmers, technicians, advisors and researchers participating in the network produced 96 practical solutions, 55 tips and tricks and 26 technical factsheets.
These solutions can be downloaded from the www.eurosheep.network
Sustainability analysis of the solutions
In line with the selection of solutions made by farmers and advisors, the project’s technical and scientific groups undertook sustainability analysis, including: technical-economic, social and environmental factors, for 51 solutions. The main impacts of the EuroSheep solutions are : to increase outputs, to improve animal welfare, to improve farm image and to increase feed efficiency.
The solutions end-users assessments
Following the implementation of 51 of the solutions on commercial and experimental farms, 167 end user assessments (evaluations) were completed by farmers, advisors and other stakeholders. Thirty-eight of these solutions received good evaluations, 3 solutions were not deemed satisfactory by the evaluators in their circumstances and 10 solutions received mixed reviews, depending on the context of system that they had been evaluated in.
Conclusions and outlook
We undertook a cross-analysis of the needs, solutions, factsheets and tips and tricks proposed, to assess which needs were not addressed, and where further research would be warranted. The main gap concerned the rearing of ewe lambs to ensure robustness of the breed, and the nutritional requirements of females during their first gestation and lactation. In terms of health, the heterogeneity of the countries regarding the availability/access to some medicines, or to laboratory for analysis, can limit the implementation of some practical solutions.
Finally, many of the proposed solutions are worth being implemented in different countries, but may require small adaptations, due to different local environment and system of production. It is therefore important to continue disseminating and promoting the re-appropriation of EuroSheep best practices in existing advisory and development organisations. There should be a continued dissemination of the EuroSheep solutions, tips and tricks and factsheets because of their relevance to improving profitability of sheep systems across Europe.
The work was performed in each country with the support of the Sheep-AKIS and the STWG, in a multi-actor and cross-fertilisation approach and shared during the different series of national workshops and transnational workshops with a strong participation and involvement of stakeholders.
For a better and wider communication and dissemination, the EuroSheep Community Platform (www.eurosheep.network) has been setup in 7 languages as well as the social media such as Twitter (@EuroSheepEU), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EuroSheep/(opens in new window)) and Instagram (eurosheepeu)) have been frequently used. Videos have also been realised to advertise EuroSheep. All videos are on the EuroSheep YouTube channel (EuroSheep EU).
Within the EuroSheep project, partners created:
• A long term collaboration between the partners,
• A better knowledge of the different sheep rearing systems across Europe to facilitate future common research projects,
• A strong interaction between different grassroots sheep actors, the scientific community and stakeholders, thanks to the multi-actor approach,
• A network of sheep actors (stakeholders) that can interact easily,
• A new positive dynamic generated by a knowledge sharing across the Europe,
• A knowledge reservoir, based on end-users needs, that gathers scientific and practical knowledge,
• A better uptake of practices to improve sheep profitability through health and nutrition coming from stakeholders,
This will allow a better attractiveness of the sheep sector and the maintenance of an essential economic activity in harsher/challenged areas across the EU.
• A long term collaboration between the partners,
• A better knowledge of the different sheep rearing systems across Europe to facilitate future common research projects,
• A strong interaction between different grassroots sheep actors, the scientific community and stakeholders, thanks to the multi-actor approach,
• A network of sheep actors (stakeholders) that can interact easily,
• A new positive dynamic generated by a knowledge sharing across the Europe,
• A knowledge reservoir, based on end-users needs, that gathers scientific and practical knowledge,
• A better uptake of practices to improve sheep profitability through health and nutrition coming from stakeholders,
This will allow a better attractiveness of the sheep sector and the maintenance of an essential economic activity in harsher/challenged areas across the EU.