The “Ruminant nutrition” and “Mediterranean pastures and forage crops” FAO-CIHEAM sub-networks organize a joint seminar in Catania (Italy) from 27 to 29 September 2022 to discuss alternative feed resources and their management for moving towards sustainable ruminant production. This seminar aims at exploring the various opportunities of novel or underexploited local feed resources, which could be valued better in the future and used to secure small ruminant feeding systems and boost animal production.

The Mediterranean basin is highly affected by climate change, while certain countries still need to increase livestock production in order to achieve food self-sufficiency, producing “better” is an urgent issue. In this respect, ruminants have an advantage as they can be fed on plants, plant parts and agro-industrial by-products which cannot be used directly for human consumption.

The Mediterranean landscape is made up of an agro-silvo-pastoral mosaic, which favours the interaction between livestock production, agriculture and natural areas. Mediterranean grasslands are an important source of forage; cultivated forage, possibly associated to perennial or annual crops, provides high-quality feed for periods of high nutrient requirements; the agro-industry produces a variety of typical by-products which may be included in ruminant diets.

For more information, visit https://faociheam2022.org/