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Challenges of organic sheep and goat production in karst areas of Croatia

There is a growing interest in organic production methods in Croatia, mainly because these systems are expected to offer a more profitable and sustainable production system, based on a low input. Field experience shows that organic livestock production is no guarantee of good animal health and welfare. The future challenges and the main conclusions and recommendations of organic sheep and goat production are summarized in this paper. Much effort is needed in order to find solutions that will meet organic standards requirements and guarantee high levels of health and welfare for animals. The key challenge is to provide state-veterinarian-owner communication for insuring the future of organic livestock production in Croatia. There is an obvious need to solve apparent conflicts between the organic farming objectives with environment, public health, also having in mind the farmers’ income and animal health monitoring. The development of quality frameworks for continuous animal health assessment and herd management standards are crucial, as well the epidemiological studies are needed to evaluate health risk factors not just for animals but also humans.

karst; organic sheep and goat farming; future; framework development

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