The James Hutton Institute
This page is no longer updated. The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute joined forces with SCRI on 1 April 2011 to create The James Hutton Institute.
The James Hutton InstituteThis page is no longer updated. The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute joined forces with SCRI on 1 April 2011 to create The James Hutton Institute.
GRANADA WORKSHOP REPORT 8.
CIHEAM - Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza
INTRODUCTION
The International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic
Studies (CIHEAM) is an intergovernmental organisation composed of the following
countries: Albania, Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta,
Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and Yugoslavia.
The objective of the CIHEAM is to promote co-operation
in the Mediterranean region through training and research in the area of
agriculture and natural resources. To accomplish its objectives, the Centre
organises specialised post-graduate training and short courses targeted
towards professionals. Furthermore, it promotes and co-ordinates research
networks on issues relevant to the Mediterranean region. The Centre has
at present four Mediterranean Agronomic Institutes; at Montpellier (France),
Bari (Italy), Chania (Greece), and Zaragoza (Spain).
CIHEAM does not have training or research activities specifically
orientated towards the improvement of Livestock Production in the European
Disadvantaged Areas. However, since the CIHEAM activities are generally
oriented towards the improvement of typically Mediterranean agriculture
and considering that many of the areas which are catalogued as disadvantaged
(declining/marginal rural areas) are to be found in Mediterranean Europe,
most of the CIHEAM activities can be applied to the development of this
type of area in the South of Europe. In this brief address, the activities
in research, training and the divulgation of information that could influence
the development of LFAs will be presented.
TRAINING
Within the field of training in Animal Production, the
Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza develops the Advanced Course
on Animal Production, with a duration of nine months, which is composed
of three cycles: Nutrition, Breeding and Reproduction. In these three cycles,
training is particularly oriented towards Mediterranean Production Systems,
paying special attention to species such as sheep and goats, which are
typical of Mediterranean less favoured areas.
Besides this long-duration course, the IAMZ develops short
courses with a more specific focus on typical productions and products
of these Mediterranean LFAs. Goat Production, Dairy Sheep Production, Mediterranean
Forages and By-products, Dairy Sheep and Goat Products and Animal Production
and Environment (the last week of the latter being specially dedicated
to extensive Mediterranean systems), are some of the courses of the IAMZ.
In the other areas of training of the IAMZ (plant breeding,
marketing of agricultural products and rural planning), aspects that could
lead to the development of new orientations of Livestock Production in
LFAs are also addressed.
A very important characteristic of the training programme
of the IAMZ-CIHEAM is the fact that the training is based on guest lecturers,
which confers particular flexibility for the adaptation to the demand of
specialized post-graduate training.
RESEARCH
Research Networks
CIHEAM encourages and promotes Research Networks with
typically Mediterranean topics. The activity of these Networks may be most
varied, from exchanges of information to the development of research projects
financed by donor bodies, such as the European Commission.
Within the context of Animal Production, the two most
consolidated networks jointly developed with FAO, are the FAO/CIHEAM
INTER-REGIONAL COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT NETWORK ON SHEEP AND
GOAT and the FAO/CIHEAM INTER-REGIONAL COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT NETWORK ON PASTURES AND FODDER CROPS.
The objective of the Sheep and Goat Network is the sustainable development of the Production Systems of Mediterranean and European sheep and goats and is structured around three subnetworks: Nutrition, Animal Resources and Production Systems. Sheep and goat nutrition during gestation and lactation, lamb and kid nutrition, plant/animal interactions, lignified feed evaluation, the use of body condition score in sheep and goats production systems, genetic resources and breeding strategies in local sheep and goat, man power in sheep and goat farms, the role of collective lands in production systems, sheep and goat production systems and environment, observatory of sheep and goat production, are some of the topics that the network deals with.
The Network on Pastures and Fodder Crops is also structured
around the three subnetworks (Mountain pastures, plain forages, Mediterranean
forage resources), addressing topics such as biodiversity, feeding value,
white clover, lucerne and Mediterranean forages in arid and semi-arid areas.
The participation in these networks is large with experts
from Albania, Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Israel,
Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey and United
Kingdom. Some of the activities are developed jointly with ICARDA.
Research Projects
As we have indicated previously, in some cases the activity
of the networks has lead to the presentation and securing of financing
for Research Projects. In the last years, the following research projects
financed by the European Commission have been co-ordinated by CIHEAM within
the context of Animal Production:
8001-CT90-0002 "Analyse et modélisation du
fonctionnement des exploitations agricoles: implication pour la gestion
de l'espace rural en régions méditerranéennes en retard
de développement".
8001-CT90-0021 "Evaluation and improvement of the
animal production systems using natural resources by grazing ruminants
in Mediterranean areas"
8001-CT90-0022 "Evaluation des ressources fourragères
locales dans les régions méditerranéennes"
8001-CT90-0030 "Selection and utilization of cultivated
fodder trees and shrubs in Mediterranean extensive livestock production
systems"
8001-CT91-0307 "Exploitation of Mediterranean roughage
and by-products"
8001-CT90-0013 "Porc méditerranéen
en systèmes sylvo-pastoraux : optimisation de la production de porcs
destinés à la transformation en produits secs traditionnels
de haute qualité"
DIFFUSION OF INFORMATION
The diffusion of information is carried out in two ways:
meetings, seminars and workshops, and publications. Further details are
given below of the activities of this type developed during the year 1996
in which CIHEAM has had an active participation in the organization, as
well as the publications in the field of animal production in the same
period.
Meetings and Seminars
- Consultation of the FAO-CIHEAM Network on Pastures and Fodder Crops.
23-25 June 1996, Banska-Bystrica, Slovakia.
- Seminar on Statistical Analysis of Livestock Experimental Data.
14-25 July 1996, ICARDA, Aleppo (Syria).
- Seminar on The Basis of Quality of Typical Mediterranean Animal Products.
29 September - 2 October 1996, SIA Badajoz (Spain).
- Meeting on Recent Advances in Small Ruminant Nutrition.
24-26 October 1996, INRA, Rabat (Morocco).
- Seminar on Native and Exotic Fodder Shrubs in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones.
27 October - 1 November 1996, Hammamet (Tunisia).
Publications
The Genus Medicago in the Mediterranean Region:
Current Situation and Prospects in Research/Le Genre Medicago en
Méditerranée: Bilan et Perspectives de la Recherche.
Cahiers Options Méditerranéennes, Volume 18
The optimal exploitation of marginal Mediterranean
areas by extensive ruminant production systems. Proceedings of an International
Symposium organized by HSAP and EEAP and sponsored by EU(DG-VI)/FAO/CIHEAM.
Published by the Hellenic Society of Animal Production (HSAP). 408 pp.
Western European Sylvopastoral Systems. Edited
by INRA, CIHEAM and FAO. INRA Editions. 276 pp.
Somatic cells and milk of small ruminants. Edited
by EAAP (Pub. No. 77), ISZ, CIHEAM, FAO and IZCS. Wageningen Pers. Editions.
384 pp.