Sheep husbandry and reproduction improvement in low- rainfall areas of West Asia and North Africa
This study helped identify technical and innovative animal husbandry-related content to support t... more This study helped identify technical and innovative animal husbandry-related content to support technology transfer activities of Knowledge Access in Rural Interconnected Areas Network (KariaNet) member projects, focusing on improvement in reproduction and husbandry of small ruminants. It also describes a successful partnership between KariaNet and the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). In dry areas sheep can transform vegetation otherwise unused for agriculture production into valuable products (meat, milk, wool, pelts and manure). With minimum area of land and low level of nutrition, sheep and especially goats - are more likely to survive than cattle or buffalos
Currently, rangelands contribute 10-25% of livestock feed requirements, compared to 65% in the 19... more Currently, rangelands contribute 10-25% of livestock feed requirements, compared to 65% in the 1960s, reflecting important rangeland degradation and loss. Direct factors responsible for the loss/degradation of rangelands include expansion of cultivated land, illicit wood collection, overgrazing contributing toward erosion, frequent droughts, inappropriate development of policies and regulations around resource utilization, and climate change. In light of this, a national strategy for rangeland rehabilitation was launched by the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture in 1990, and included cultivating, among others, atriplex, acacia and spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) shrubs on a large scale. This strategy was implemented by the Livestock and Rangeland Authority (OEP), focusing on private rangelands, with a contract established between OEP and farmers. The OEP provides the cactus pads and the equivalent of US$70 ha-1 as an incentive to cover costs related to planting. In addition, the OEP provides technical assistance to farmers. So far, the non-planted areas have produced 0.2-0.5 t dry matter (DM) ha-1 as feed, while herbaceous biomass has increased by 3000 kg DM ha-1. Feed biomass has also increased to 6-12 t DM ha-1 , with other benefits including increased fruit production for self-consumption or sale, reduction of soil erosion, improvement of biodiversity, shelter for wildlife, and improved carbon sequestration. Because land cover, feed and water resources are low on Tunisian rangelands and other such dry areas, the cultivation of cactus presents an opportunity to restore degraded areas, while livestock production stands to benefit, as it is also an important feed resource during barren and dry periods.
Rangeland improvement and management in arid and semi-arid environments of West Asia and North Africa
The report analyzes rangeland features and management in terms of livestock needs, socio-cultural... more The report analyzes rangeland features and management in terms of livestock needs, socio-cultural conditions, feed availability, and climate. Guidelines are provided for assessing overgrazing or under-utilization of a rangeland, along with factors that can affect the mode of rangeland use by livestock. Several techniques for increasing the productivity of the rangeland were investigated (deferring grazing, shrubs planting, reseeding, fertilizer application, scarification), some of which show significant results. Table 5 shows recommended shrub species according to agroecological attributes and soil conditions. It is important to "read" the state of a rangeland through the observation of vegetation and soil
Livestock production occupies 70% of agricultural land, and 30% of the ice-free land surface of t... more Livestock production occupies 70% of agricultural land, and 30% of the ice-free land surface of the planet! It is responsible for 40% of global agricultural GDP, and is both a contributor to global environmental problems, and part of the solution. Global demand for livestock products is expected to double during the first half of this century, as a result of the growing human population, and its growing affluence. Over the same period, we expect big changes in the climate globally. The dramatic expansion of crop production for biofuels is already impacting on the resources available globally for food production, and hence on food supply and cost. Food security remains one of the highest priority issues in developing countries, and livestock production has a key role in many of these countries. However, food security is re-emerging as an important issue in many developed countries that had previously regarded it as 'solved'. These interconnected issues are creating immense pressure on the planet's resources. We need high quality animal science to help meet rising demand for livestock products in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Against this backdrop, the conference organisers felt that there was an urgent need to bring interested parties together to review the latest scientific findings on predictions of climate change and how these will affect livestock production, to examine the contribution that livestock production makes to these changes and how it can help to mitigate them, to consider how livestock production systems can adapt to climate change, and to consider future scientific priorities to help in these areas. The very strong international line-up of presenters confirms our view of the timeliness and importance of the subject. We hope that all delegates will engage fully with presenters, and each other, to ensure that we all leave with a much clearer vision of the livestock and production systems that we need in future, and the science and technology interaction we need to help us realise that vision. We are very grateful to the Government of Tunisia for hosting this important event, and we are pleased that Tunisia, a country of openness and understanding, in which the international scientific community can address the challenges that climate change brings to our planet is a most appropriate venue. Our partners and hosts in Tunisia have worked tirelessly to ensure a successful conference, especially the Ministry of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources and Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. The choice of Tunisia as the location for this conference was partly to allow others to learn from the experience of those already used to coping with extreme climatic events. We are confident that the mix of scientists, practitioners and policy makers from so many different regions will prove very stimulating. We are also very grateful indeed to the sponsors of this meeting, whose support has enabled such wide participation.
How risk influences the adoption of new technologies by farmers in low rainfall areas of North Africa
Risk has long been considered as an important factor that reduces technology adoption. We propose... more Risk has long been considered as an important factor that reduces technology adoption. We propose to test different hypotheses regarding the effect of risk on the process of technology adoption by farmers in semi arid and arid areas of North Africa where drought risk is prevalent. The study concerns the introduction of spineless cactus-based alley cropping risk-reducing technology, and addresses how farmers' risk attitude influences the level of adoption of this technology. To test the influence of risk on the technology adoption a mathematical programming model, that maximizes the utility function of farmers under a set of agronomic, economic and institutional constraints, was developed. The results showed that repayment period limits more the adoption of spineless cactus-based alley cropping than farmers' risk attitude. The reduction (or increase) of the coefficient of risk aversion favours stocking (or de-stocking) of live animals in agro-pastoral systems. In contrast, sm...
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Papers by Ali Nefzaoui