Haplotype Affinities Resolve a Major Component of Goat (Capra hircus) MtDNA D-Loop Diversity and Reveal Specific Features of the Sardinian Stock

Goat mtDNA haplogroup A is a poorly resolved lineage absorbing most of the overall diversity and is found in locations as distant as Eastern Asia and Southern Africa. Its phylogenetic dissection would cast light on an important portion of the spread of goat breeding. The aims of this work were 1) to provide an operational definition of meaningful mtDNA units within haplogroup A, 2) to investigate the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of diversity by considering the modes of selection operated by breeders and 3) to identify the peculiarities of Sardinian mtDNA types. We sequenced the mtDNA D-loop in a large sample of animals (1,591) which represents a non-trivial quota of the entire goat population of Sardinia. We found that Sardinia mirrors a large quota of mtDNA diversity of Western Eurasia in the number of variable sites, their mutational pattern and allele frequency. By using Bayesian analysis, a distance-based tree and a network analysis, we recognized demographically coherent groups of sequences identified by particular subsets of the variable positions. The results showed that this assignment system could be reproduced in other studies, capturing the greatest part of haplotype diversity

La contribution des méthodes prospectives à appuyer des stratégies pastorales en Méditerrannée à travers l'example de la Corse

International audiencePastoralism is a practice of animal production based on the exclusive or partial use of spontaneous resources. It is therefore likely to meet the challenges of the agro-ecological transition. As in many Mediterranean regions, Corsica has a very old pastoral transition, today questioned by the reduction in the number of farms, the closure of environments, the abandonment of grazing management practices on rangelands and a reduction of transhumance. In this context, what can be the prospects for pastoral farming in Corsica? To support the implementation of a pastoral strategy for public action, a prospective workshop based on the territorial prospective approach tried to answer this complex question. A group, made up of around thirty volunteer experts and various actors, all involved personally in pastoralism in Corsica, have met during four one-day sessions. They problematized the question, established a shared diagnosis of the present situation and planned future prospects by identifying transformative processes, crossing and combining these processes to build scenarios and challenge stake - holders.Each of four scenarios was built by considering successively, the men and women as actors of pastoralism, the animals and their valorization (species, breeds, products, markets), the policies and the organizations (the CAP , the local authorities, the sector organizations ), the territories of pastoralism (mountain rangelands, forests, scrubs, cultivated areas and crops):S1 - The memorial pastoralism scenario: Pastoralism remains the reference backdrop but development priorities go to other non-agricultural activities.S2 - The scenario of a rediscovered pastoralism: We are witnessing a vast movement to live and work in the country by developing local production and a sylvo-pastoral orientation.S3 - The scenario of a pastoralism redesigned by the downstream sector: Pastoral components are marginal but symbolic contributors for Corsican livestock farming with other productive ambitions.S4 - The scenario of the new pastoral enterprise: In a world of radical and rapid changes, pastoralism is part of a new pluri active and innovative farm and start up economyThen, we discuss the conditions for stabilizing a pastoral strategy towards an assumed final scenario that would combine these different proposals. The conclusions of the workshop underlined the absence of a true pastoral technical model still to build, the need to invest in engineering, pluri disciplinary research, education and permanent training for breeders while limiting the perverse effects of CAP subsidies.This prospective also leads to question the limits of the intervention of research and expertise in the design and governance of public policies, and more generally, the difficulty of moving from diagnosis to operational proposals

La contribution des méthodes prospectives à appuyer des stratégies pastorales en Méditerrannée à travers l'example de la Corse

International audiencePastoralism is a practice of animal production based on the exclusive or partial use of spontaneous resources. It is therefore likely to meet the challenges of the agro-ecological transition. As in many Mediterranean regions, Corsica has a very old pastoral transition, today questioned by the reduction in the number of farms, the closure of environments, the abandonment of grazing management practices on rangelands and a reduction of transhumance. In this context, what can be the prospects for pastoral farming in Corsica? To support the implementation of a pastoral strategy for public action, a prospective workshop based on the territorial prospective approach tried to answer this complex question. A group, made up of around thirty volunteer experts and various actors, all involved personally in pastoralism in Corsica, have met during four one-day sessions. They problematized the question, established a shared diagnosis of the present situation and planned future prospects by identifying transformative processes, crossing and combining these processes to build scenarios and challenge stake - holders.Each of four scenarios was built by considering successively, the men and women as actors of pastoralism, the animals and their valorization (species, breeds, products, markets), the policies and the organizations (the CAP , the local authorities, the sector organizations ), the territories of pastoralism (mountain rangelands, forests, scrubs, cultivated areas and crops):S1 - The memorial pastoralism scenario: Pastoralism remains the reference backdrop but development priorities go to other non-agricultural activities.S2 - The scenario of a rediscovered pastoralism: We are witnessing a vast movement to live and work in the country by developing local production and a sylvo-pastoral orientation.S3 - The scenario of a pastoralism redesigned by the downstream sector: Pastoral components are marginal but symbolic contributors for Corsican livestock farming with other productive ambitions.S4 - The scenario of the new pastoral enterprise: In a world of radical and rapid changes, pastoralism is part of a new pluri active and innovative farm and start up economyThen, we discuss the conditions for stabilizing a pastoral strategy towards an assumed final scenario that would combine these different proposals. The conclusions of the workshop underlined the absence of a true pastoral technical model still to build, the need to invest in engineering, pluri disciplinary research, education and permanent training for breeders while limiting the perverse effects of CAP subsidies.This prospective also leads to question the limits of the intervention of research and expertise in the design and governance of public policies, and more generally, the difficulty of moving from diagnosis to operational proposals

The sheep and goat dairy sector in the Mediterranean area and the Balkans: Diversity of local realities and future changes in the sector

The countries of the Mediterranean and Balkan regions share a peculiar characteristic: more than 80% of the sheep milk and 50% of the goat milk collected worldwide come from this area. Such milks are often the main production of small farms in less favoured regions where they are generally used to make specific and typical cheeses (without cow milk). These products generally have a good image and most of these countries are big cheese consumers. After a general presentation of the sector (milk production, cheese making, and consumption) and of recent changes in the four main zones of the region, the authors analyse their advantages, difficulties and stakes, underlining the similarities and differences between the Latin and Balkan countries. Three types of production and supply chain are identified according to volumes, markets, types and levels of organisation: some specific specialised sectors, micro-sectors, regionally disseminated activities without coordinated cheese units. The authors study the probable or possible changes in consumption, distribution, dairy firm strategies, production systems and political or institutional changes in the European Union. Three scenarios are proposed. The future of this sector will probably depend largely on the future standards of living, the consumption habits and the level of investment by regional public authorities as these supply chains offer good leverage for territorial development

The Mediterranean sheep and goat sectors between constants and changes over the last decade Future challenges and prospects

International audienceAbstract. The overview of the sheep and goat sectors around the Mediterranean Basin shows permanentand common traits and these sectors have always a peculiar importance. But drastic changes have beenobserved for the last decade with a decreasing share of sheep and goat meat supply with new trends in marketing. The sheep and goat milks play always a significant role in the region but with changes in the demandof consumers and a growing demand for goat milk products. But the future of these sectors cannot be ex -plored only through the markets and the consumers’ behaviours which have to be connected to the farmers’decision processes and the social and economic situation of the hinterlands. The pastoral components of theproduction systems appear to be a good lever to prospect their futures. The remuneration of eco –systemicservices (to prevent fire, protect bio-diversity, and preserve landscapes, for instance), the enhancement ofagro-ecological characteristics of pastoral systems and products (based on local breeds, use of natural feeding resources, local marketing on short chains...), the certification and labelling of pastoral products in relation to the other activities of the territories are all possible ways to improve the value chains of sheep andgoats. In all cases, the improvement of the information systems for these pastoral sectors, the reorganizationof training programs and implementation of more efficient extension services is necessary to concretize theseoutlooks and depends of the internal dynamics, choices and balances of powers within each territoryUn balayage de la situation des secteurs ovins et caprins dans le bassin méditerranéen montre qu’ilsy ont toujours une importance particulière avec des traits communs et permanents. Mais des changementsdrastiques ont pu être observés lors de la dernière décennie avec une part décroissante des viandes de petitsruminants dans la consommation carnée et de nouvelles tendances en matière de marketing. Les laits de brebis et de chèvres jouent toujours un rôle important dans la région, mais avec des changements dans lademande des consommateurs et une demande croissante pour les produits à base de lait de chèvre. Maisl’analyse des marchés et du comportement des consommateurs ne suffit pas à appréhender l’avenir de cessecteurs dans la mesure où il dépend aussi des facteurs de décision des éleveurs et de la situation socialeet économique de chaque arrière-pays concerné. A cet égard, les composantes pastorales des systèmes deproduction ovins et caprins, qui constituent une de leurs spécificités, semblent être un bon levier pour appréhender leurs perspectives futures. La rémunération des services éco systémiques qu’ils rendent (en termesde prévention des incendies, de préservation de la biodiversité, de protection des paysages, par exemple),l’amélioration des caractéristiques agro-écologiques des systèmes et des produits pastoraux (basée sur lavalorisation de races locales, l’utilisation de ressources alimentaires naturelles, la commercialisation en circuits courts,...), la certification et l’étiquetage des produits pastoraux en lien avec les autres activités des territoires sont toutes des voies possibles pour améliorer les chaînes de valeur des petits ruminants. Dans tousles cas, l’amélioration des systèmes d’information pour ces secteurs pastoraux, la réorganisation des programmes de formation et la mise en œuvre des services de vulgarisation plus efficaces et généralisés sontnécessaires pour concrétiser ces perspectives. Leur mise en œuvre dépend des dynamiques internes, deschoix et des rapports de force au sein de chaque territoire

Strategy for goat farming in the 21st century

International audienc