Livestock Production Science 64 (2000) 1
www.elsevier.com / locate / livprodsci
Foreword
In Europe, total sheep numbers have decreased in This sub-network has recently organised two the last 15 years, while goats represent only 4% of meetings, the INAPG meeting on Nutrition of sheep the world population. International trade in sheep and goats meeting in Grignon, in France, from 3 to 5 and, especially, goat products is less than that in September, 1998, and a session on the Nutrition of cattle, pig and poultry products. Nevertheless, re- Dairy Goats in Intensive Conditions, in the
pro-th
search on small ruminants continues to be an im- gramme of the 50 annual meeting of the EAAP in portant activity in Europe, with a greater part di- Zurich, from 22 to 26 August, 1999. It was felt that rected to studying the role of sheep and goats in the some of the key presentations at these two meetings management of plant ecosystems and landscape should be published in a special issue of Livestock maintenance. Another area that has attracted in- Production Science, to present current information creased interest is the production and marketing of on some aspects of sheep and goat nutrition. This specialist food and fibre products, which attract high special issue contains two papers on the nutrient prices from discerning customers and can play a role requirements of goats, which have been poorly in developing tourism. defined in comparison with other species, four papers In the last 50 years, the Commission on Sheep and relating to aspects of plant-animal relationships, Goat Production of the European Association for including feeding behaviour and the use of pasture or Animal Production (EAAP) has provided a forum Mediterranean rangelands by small ruminants, and for the discussion of all aspects of small ruminant two papers relating to product quality, fat com-production. Twenty years ago, the Food and Agricul- position of lamb meat and growth of Angora and ture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, with Cashmere goat fibres.
the help of EAAP, established a Network on Co- The editors wish to thank the large number of operative Research on Sheep and Goat Production, people who contributed to the publication of this which is now very actively supported by the Interna- issue, including authors, many of whom had to tional Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Ag- substantially rewrite their papers for publication, the ronomic Studies (CIHEAM). One of the most im- referees, Dr J Boyazoglu, editor-in -chief of LPS, for portant activities of the FAO-CIHEAM network has his interest and guidance, and Dr R. Krell (FAO),
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been to bring together research workers from and Dr D.Gabina (CIHEAM), who supported the Europe, North Africa and the Near East, in a sub- work of the sub-network.
network on Nutrition and Feeding Strategies of
Sheep and Goats, which is now coordinated by Inger
P. Morand Fehr
Ledin, of Sweden.
