Added value of local sheep breeds in alpine agroecosystems

Mountain livestock farming systems are facing climatic, social and economic changes, which cause abandonment of marginal and less favoured areas and intensification in the most productive areas. This study is part of a project (Sheep Al.L. Chain, RDP Veneto Region) aiming to improve the competitiveness of local sheep breed farms through the valorisation of their link with mountain agroecosystems. We considered two local sheep breeds of Eastern Italian Alps, ‘Lamon ‘and ‘Alpagota’, which have a population of 400 and 2,600 heads, respectively, and are used to produce lambs for typical products. A total of 40 farms (21 for Alpagota, with a total of 1,900 heads; 19 for Lamon, with a total of 395 heads) were surveyed to collect data on farm organisation, flock structure and management (on farm questionnaire), land use management (GIS approach), and value chain organisation (participatory processes). The farms rearing Alpagota sheep have an average flock size of 90 heads, ranging from 4 to 400 sheep, and farmers are associated in a cooperative with a Slow Food Presidium. The farmers with Lamon sheep are mainly smallholders with very small flocks (around 20 sheep per farm), and the breed is at risk of extinction. The link between the two local sheep breeds and mountain agroecosystems is very strong: land use is characterised by a large number of small patches of grasslands (on average 102 patches with an average size of 0.2 ha/farm) with steep slopes (on average 35% of slope for highland pastures). The results of this study were used to develop strategies aiming at improving the competitiveness of these systems. In particular, an application for smartphone has been developed to support mating plans, with the aim to limit the risk of inbreeding. To valorise the link between local breeds and landscape, a ‘territorial marketing’ strategy has been tested on the sampled farms. Communication to the consumers and to the relevant stakeholders of the added value of local sheep breeds in marginal mountain agroecosystems can contribute to favour the resilience of small ruminant farms. The involvement of farmers (in particular smallholders) in cooperative/ multiactor approaches is fundamental for the conservation of Alpine sheep breeds.