A multi-stakeholder participatory study identifies the priorities for the sustainability of the small ruminants farming sector in Europe

Measuring the Economic Performance of Small Ruminant Farms Using Balanced Scorecard and Importance-Performance Analysis: A European Case Study

“…In other words, these farm businesses consider innovation to be a secondary performance factor. These results are consistent with those reported in Belanche [9]. Relative to other agricultural sectors, both technology and innovation have remained relatively stagnant and neglected in the goat and sheep sectors, by both the supply chain actors and mainstream research [50].…”

“…In the context of difficult economic conditions for small ruminants' farmers, limited attention is paid to business and managerial factors that could set the basis for the sustainability of sector. Belanche et al [9] provide an analysis of priorities for sustainability from the perspective of experts in the small ruminant sector, and indicate the economic challenges among those most relevant for the future development of this sector. Paraskevopoulou et al [10] provide a more general study on the sustainability of small ruminants farms, and report a low performance in economic resilience of farms due to limited entrepreneurial organization and strategic management.…”

Economic and Financial Sustainability Dependency on Subsidies: The Case of Goat Farms in Greece

“…Despite the significance of the Greek goat industry, limited in-depth economic research efforts have been made [56]. The sustainability of the small ruminant sector has been studied, and it was indicated that the economic challenges are among the most relevant for the future development of this sector.…”

“…In many countries, the capacity for innovation and adaptation has been held back by the same EU policy that has created a sector dependent on subsidies [56]. In Greece, and with specific reference to the government subsidies addressed to the upgrading of mechanical equipment and buildings, these measures were not properly designed in order to meet the real needs of goat farmers.…”

“…Price insurance that provides coverage against fluctuations in the product prices, and revenue insurance that provides coverage against changes in farm revenues, should be offered in the insurance marketplace. The volatility and uncertainty of prices is one of the greatest challenges in the livestock sector, which exerts a significant influence on its sustainability [56]. Other production costs need to be reduced for Greek goat farmers in order to improve financial viability.…”