Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Agro-ecosystem
socio-economic environment
institutional support
policy issues
Goals
•
Sustainable
development
•
Environmental
protection
Maximum
productivity
Optimum
productivity
Current
low output
•
Poverty reduction
•
Food security
•
Economic growth
•
Self-reliance
Traditional
(Low inputs)
Diversification
Reduced risk
Low resource risk
Low efficiency
Inadequate application
of technology
Intermediate
(Medium inputs)
Market-orientated
(High inputs)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Systems orientation
Crop-animal systems
Improved breeds
Potential technology
application
•
Production to post-production
to consumption system
Germplasm conservation
Efficient resource use
Intensification
•
•
•
Figure 1.7
Potential levels of productivity feasible from traditional, market-oriented system and the
development of sustainable small farms (Devendra, 2000).
Large - scale development of the breeds that enhance
meat production
Acceleration of the transfer of technologies on-farm;
promotion of wide dissemination of information, and
networking
The current domestic supply in the U.S. cannot meet the
demand, so the U.S. is the largest importer of goat meat in
the world.
Ruminant production systems in the developing coun-
tries are not likely to change in the foreseeable future
despite some increase in intensifi cation of production and
a gradual shift from extensive production to systems that
involve cropping of arable land. This change will be driven
by population growth. A variety of constraints to goat
production exist. Constraints must be identifi ed clearly so
that research can provide solutions to improve animal per-
formance, and enhance development and productivity. Use
of Farming Systems Research perspectives provide ways
to address the issues and to formulate approaches and
strategies to resolve the problems and increase animal pro-
duction to help alleviate world hunger.
The following chapters provide a comprehensive and up-
to-date summation of the science of goat production. The
descriptions involve both the developing and developed
countries and agroecosystems and a global perspective.
SUMMARY
The goat is one of the fi rst livestock that was domesti-
cated. About 10,000 years ago, the goat was domesticated
by three of the oldest civilizations: the Nile in northeast
Africa, the Tigris-Euphrates in west Asia, and the Indus
in the Indian subcontinent. The bezoar of western Asia is
the main progenitor of most domestic goats. The majority
(98%) of the world population of goats is in developing
countries where goats are raised under extensive condi-
tions. Goats provide meat, milk, and skins and also con-
tribute to socioeconomic, cultural, and recreational needs
of mankind. In developed countries, goat meat, milk, and
fi ber also have increased in popularity. In the last decade,
the demand for goat meat and cheese has increased in the
U.S. because population demographics have shifted
toward those that traditionally consume goat products.
REFERENCES
Boyazoglu , J. , I. Hatziminaoglu , and P. Morand - Fehr . 2005 .
The role of the goat in society: past, present and perspec-
tives for the future . Small Rumin. Res. 60 : 13 - 24 .
Cooper , J.C. 1992 . Mythological and symbolic signifi cance
of goats. In: Symbolic and Mythological Animals. The
Aquarian Press, Wellingborough, USA .
Devendra , C. 1987 . Herbivores in the arid and wet tropics . In:
The Nutrition of Herbivores. Proceedings 2nd International
Symposium on the Nutrition of Herbivores. (Eds. J.B.
