Typification and Characterization of Different Livestock Production Systems of Mediterranean Dairy Sheep Farms with Different Degrees of Intensification: A Comparative Study.

Abstract

It is necessary to study small-ruminant production systems in a spatial context, as different areas, depending on their natural, socioeconomic, and cultural context, will respond differently to the effects of such causal factors. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between technology use and farm and farmer characteristics in dairy sheep production by developing a farm typology using multivariate statistical analysis and comparing it with the multi-scale sustainability evaluation of the Natural Resource Management Systems (NRMS) method. Quantitative and qualitative data were evaluated and compared using the NRMS method and cluster analysis to identify groups of farms. Fourteen variables were considered for the analysis, resulting in four farm systems with the NRMS method, named Intensive, Semi-Intensive, Semi-Extensive, and Extensive; however, when analyzing the data by cluster analysis, the following clusters were used: Cluster 1, Semi-Extensive Dairy Systems (SEDSs); Cluster 2, Semi-Intensive Systems (SIDSs); Cluster 3, Semi-Extensive Cheese Systems (SECSs); and Cluster 4, Intensive Dairy Systems (IDSs). This study concludes that the traditional classification of dairy sheep farms based on their dependence on natural resources can be enriched by incorporating additional indicators that allow for a more comprehensive and accurate characterization of farms.