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A central element of the activities of the network is the organisation of a series of interdisciplinary conferences and workshops on key areas in livestock production systems and rural development.

The coordinator and the leaders of the relevant subgroups will plan a series of four workshops (approximately 20 participants each) and two conferences (40-50 delegates) to be held during the course of the project. These events will be designed to draw together the whole range of expertise represented in the network (Figure 1). An outline of the series of meetings is given below.

Conference 1:

The role of domestic livestock systems for rural development in disadvantaged areas

Plenary conference with contributions from all sub-groups. This conference will also include participatory interdisciplinary sessions with facilitators, i.e. the coordinator and leaders of the sub-groups to establish agendas for further meetings. The objectives of this conference will be:

a) to examine the constraints on the development of domestic livestock systems in disadvantaged areas, e.g. physical constraints, such as soil and climate, economic constraints, such as distance from markets, and social constraints, such as age structure of population and skills base;

(b) to explore methodologies, such as multi-criteria analysis, relevant to domestic livestock systems and rural development in disadvantaged areas, for assessing how objectives can be met;

(c) to assess options for diversification, vertical integration of product processing, and increasing economic benefit from environmental protection; and

(d) to explore how policy initiatives can facilitate the role of domestic livestock in supporting rural communities.

Workshop 1:

The future development of EU rural policy mechanisms and the implications for livestock farming research in the disadvantaged areas

Joint workshop of subgroups 1 and 2. The objectives of the workshop will be:

(a) to explore the mechanisms whereby domestic livestock systems can be integrated into the policy structures of the EU; and

(b) to identify research approaches that are necessary to achieve objective (a).

Workshop 2:

Improving market integration and value-adding in domestic livestock enterprises in disadvantaged regions - implications for future research.

Joint workshop of subgroups 1 and 3. The objectives of the workshop will be:

(a) to examine opportunities for and constraints on vertical integration of products from domestic livestock systems in disadvantaged areas (eg. cheese/yogurt, wool and speciality fibres, processed meats, skins etc.); and

(b) to identify areas of future research on how this integration can be achieved.

Workshop 3:

Viable livestock systems for positive environmental management in disadvantaged regions.

Joint workshop of subgroups 1 and 4. The objectives of the workshop will be:

(a) to assess the extent to which domestic livestock systems can be used to achieve environmental objectives; and

(b) to examine how economic benefits from positive environmental management, in rural development terms, can be achieved.

Workshop 4:

Integrated economic development of rural communities engaged in livestock production.

Joint workshop of subgroups 1, 2 and 3. The objectives of the workshop will be:

(a) to examine the extent to which livestock production systems can contribute to the development of rural incomes; and

(b) to explore the opportunities for greater integration with other rural activities (eg. forestry).

Conference 2:

Livestock production in the European LFAs:
Meeting future economic, environmental and policy objectives through integrated research.

The objectives will be (a) to report the achievements of the workshop series and feasibility studies (see below) and (b) the identification of future areas of research. This will be achieved by plenary sessions and by participatory sessions by the delegates, assisted by facilitators i.e. the Coordinator and leaders of sub-groups.

Papers presented at the conferences and workshops will be published as a series of monographs.

23 October 1996