Animal production in the Mediterranean region: Present situation, problems and future trends

Mediterranean countries as a whole suffer from a chronic shortage of livestock products, the main reason being the acceleration in demand observed since World War II. This acceleration has been caused by the combination of high rates of population growth and rapid increases in per capita incomes which have gone hand-in-hand with rapid urbanization. The particularly high income elasticity for livestock products has aggravated the situation. The most important constraints on livestock development are the limited amount of feed resources and their seasonality. The introduction of already known techniques and the active search for new ones leave room for substantial development. However, their adoption by the mass of producers will depend on the supply by governments of support services and on a general increase in producer prices for livestock versus plant products. Considering the diminishing political influence of farmers, such an increase can be envisaged only within the context of healthy and expanding national economies and where governments favour indigenous livestock production. In other words, livestock sectors will expand only if national economies recover rapidly from the present world crisis and if governments are able to create a socio-economic environment stimulating livestock producers. (author). 5 refs, 6 tabs