Nazan Koluman

Sustainability of Local Goat Genetic Resources in the Mediterranean Region

The Mediterranean region comprises a great diversity of indigenous goat breeds that are well adapted to the local environments. Indigenous goats play a significant economic, social, and environmental role providing income and ensuring food for the local population. Despite their relevant importance, indigenous goats are subjected to a variety of factors causing their progressive decline. The wide intensification of goat production with the goal to meet the increasing demands for animal products and to contribute to improving livelihoods is the major threats to goat genetic diversity. Also, in the absence of measures to ensure that the use of exotic genetic material is well planned, the impact on local breeds can be serious. To ensure a sustainability of indigenous goat genetic resource, some conservation methods grouping in situ, ex situ in vivo and in vitro (ex situ) conservation could be implemented. The successful implementation of these strategies requires an active involvement of farmers, researchers, governments, and nongovernmental and international institutions by developing and supporting various policy issues. This chapter highlights briefly the present situation of indigenous goat genetic resource and some policies implanted to ensure the sustainable conservation of these genetic resources in the Mediterranean region.

Socio-Economic Aspects of Goat Farming in Arid Environments. The Example of Turkey

Livestock is important in supporting the livelihoods of farmers, consumers, traders and laborers in developed but particularly in developing world. Recently, the international community recognizes the importance of livestock in terms of poverty reduction and economic opportunities. Despite its potential importance to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction, livestock sector development has received limited attention from the international organizations and national governments in recent decades. On the other hand, some research have showed that goat production plays a crucial role in the lives of large number of people in the Mediterranean region. Thus, goat rearing is an essential element of their farming system. In some countries like Turkey, rural women carry out a primary role in goat production. However, women’s productive work has been ignored and underestimated. Goat production can play an important role in improving rural livelihoods. Commercialization, another important aspect related to goat productions, should be improved to achieve a higher profitability of smallholder production systems. In this chapter, the social and economic aspects as well as gender issues involved in the goat production in Turkey, as an example of a typical arid environments, are described.

Heat Stress Effects on Water Metabolism of Goats in Harsh Environments

Goats play a predominant role in the economies of millions of people, and they have been a source of meat, milk, skin, wool, and fiber since ages. Goats undergo various kinds of stressors under many different conditions, i.e., physical, nutritional, chemical, and physiological and heat stress (HS). Among all, thermal stress is the most concerning nowadays in the ever-changing climatic scenario, which supposes a serious long-term challenge faced by small ruminant owners worldwide. HS results in decreased growth, reproduction, production, and milk quantity and quality. Thus, HS results in economic losses, emphasizing the necessity to objectively assess animal welfare. The hot climate is a serious threat to agriculture business, including goat production. The ability of sheep and goats to cope with HS without affecting their welfare and productive performance has been often overrated. To date, little attention has been paid to comprehensive detailed data on the adverse effect of HS on small ruminants. Among domestic ruminants, goats are renowned for their ability to tolerate water and energy restriction. However, some basic questions regarding their ability to endure water restriction under HS are still open. Therefore, a definition of heat stress and its effects on water metabolism on goats will be the scope of this chapter.

Climate Change and Goat Agriculture Interactions in the Mediterranean Region

Currently, even countries located within the temperate zone are affected by changes in global warming. These changes are associated with unprecedented events of extremely high ambient temperature, above 40 °C, and seasonal changes. The number of days with temperature humidity index above a specific comfort threshold (>68) has noticeably increased in recent years in the Mediterranean region. The rate of global warming, including in the temperate zone, is expected to continue to vulnerable in coming years. The economic importance of goat production has been increased during the last decades all over the world, predominantly in countries that are routinely exposed to harsh environment. Goats have numerous advantages that enable them to maintain their production under extreme climate conditions. Moreover, goats emit less methane than other domestic ruminants. Based on these advantages, it can be said that goat breeding will play an important role in mitigating and adapting to climate change (CC) in harsh environments. The impacts of CC on goat production could be assessed analyzing the direct or indirect effects of climatic factors. The CC is expected to create indirect impacts on quality and amount of goat feeds, feeding strategies, seasonal usability of grasslands, genetic improvements (hybridization and others), and on the goat population. The interaction between goats and their environment in relation to their physiological stage, use of natural resource, waste management, and crop production are direct effects of CC on goat production. In this chapter, the direct and indirect effects and interactions of CC-animal-environment will be determined.