Sheep have long been a feature of farming. This collection reviews the latest research on issues such as meat quality, genetics and breeding. It also discusses animal nutrition, health and welfare as well as ways of improving the sustainability of sheep production.

To meet growing demand, the FAO has estimated that world poultry production needs to grow by 2-3% per year to 2030. Much of the increase in output already achieved has been as a result of improvements in commercial breeds combined with rearing in more intensive production systems. However, more intensive systems and complex supply chains have increased the risk of rapid transmission of animal diseases and zoonoses. Consumer expectations of sensory and nutritional quality have never been higher. At the same time consumers are more concerned about the environmental impact of poultry production as well as animal welfare. Drawing on an international range of expertise, this book reviews research on safety, quality and sustainability issues in poultry production. Part 1 discusses risks from pathogens, detection and safety management on farms and in slaughterhouse operations. Part 2 looks at ways of enhancing the flavour, colour, texture and nutritional quality of poultry meat. Finally, the book reviews the environmental impact of poultry production. Achieving sustainable production of poultry meat Volume 1: Safety, quality and sustainability will be a standard reference for poultry and food scientists in universities, government and other research centres and companies involved in poultry production. It is accompanied by two further volumes which review poultry breeding, nutrition, health and welfare.

To meet growing demand, the FAO has estimated that world poultry production needs to grow by 2-3% per year to 2030. Much of the increase in output already achieved has been as a result of improvements in commercial breeds combined with rearing in more intensive production systems. However, more intensive systems have increased the risk of transmission of animal diseases and zoonoses. Consumer expectations of sensory and nutritional quality have never been higher. At the same time consumers are more concerned about the environmental impact of poultry production as well as animal welfare. Drawing on an international range of expertise, this book reviews research on poultry breeding and nutrition. The first part of the book reviews how advances in genetics have impacted developments in breeding. Part 2 discusses ways of optimising poultry nutrition to ensure quality and sustainability in poultry meat production. Chapters review the use of feedstuffs and ingredients such as amino acids, enzymes and probiotics as well as feed formulation and safety. Achieving sustainable production of poultry meat Volume 2: Breeding and nutrition will be a standard reference for poultry and food scientists in universities, government and other research centres and companies involved in poultry production. It is accompanied by two further volumes which review safety, quality and sustainability as well as poultry health and welfare.

To meet growing demand, the FAO has estimated that world poultry production needs to grow by 2-3% per year to 2030. Much of the increase in output already achieved has been as a result of improvements in commercial breeds combined with rearing in more intensive production systems. However, more intensive systems have increased the risk of transmission of animal diseases and zoonoses. Consumer expectations of sensory and nutritional quality have also never been higher. At the same time consumers are more concerned about the environmental impact of poultry production as well as animal welfare. Drawing on an international range of expertise, this book reviews research on poultry health and welfare. Part 1 begins by reviewing the range of diseases and other health issues affecting poultry. It then goes on to discuss ways of preventing and managing disease such as breeding, and means of attenuating the immune system. The second part of the book discusses welfare issues such as management of breeding flocks, housing, transport and humane slaughter techniques. Achieving sustainable production of poultry meat Volume 3: Health and welfare will be a standard reference for poultry and food scientists in universities, government and other research centres and companies involved in poultry production. It is accompanied by two further volumes which review safety, quality and sustainability as well as poultry breeding and nutrition.

In this volume, the latest information on sheep farming concerning the effects of climate change is summarized in eight chapters. Climate change basically determines changes in the environment, which affect the keeping, feeding, animal health, and breeding conditions of sheep. These changes affect the sustainability of sheep farming, the sheep’s resilience, and based on this, the livelihood opportunities of the people who keep the sheep. In different regions, the factors that enable or limit the effectiveness of sheep farming can change to a different degree and form. Changes in circumstances make it increasingly important to utilize the elements of precision farming in sheep farming because knowledge of current registration, production, and location data is essential even in extensive conditions.

This book is focused on the challenges to implement sustainability in diverse contexts such as agribusiness, natural resource systems and new technologies. The experiences made by the researchers of the School of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Science (SAFE) of the University of Basilicata offer a wide and multidisciplinary approach to the identification and testing of different solutions tailored to the economic, social and environmental characteristics of the region and the surrounding areas. Basilicata’s productive system is mainly based on activities related to the agricultural sector and exploitation of natural resources but it has seen, in recent years, an industrial development driven by the discovery of oil fields. SAFE research took up the challenge posed by market competition to create value through the sustainable use of renewable and non-renewable resources of the territory. Moreover, due to its unique geographical position in the middle of the Mediterranean basin, Basilicata is an excellent “open sky” laboratory for testing sustainable solutions adaptable to other Mediterranean areas. This collection of multidisciplinary case studies and research experiences from SAFE researchers and their scientific partners is a stimulating contribution to the debate on the development of sustainable techniques, methods and applications for the Mediterranean regions.