Current aspects and recommendations in health management of organic sheep and goat farming in karst areas of Croatia

Abstract

Karsts areas are environments that provide almost ideal natural conditions for the development of organic sheep and goat farming. There is a growing interest in organic production methods in Croatia, mainly because these systems are expected to offer more profitable and sustainable production systems, based on low input. Existing data on animal health in organic livestock production systems are reviewed in the light of the demands and challenges of the implementation of EU regulations in Croatian organic sheep and goat production. The main conclusions and recommendations of organic sheep and goat production are summarized and the future challenges to organic livestock production in terms of welfare and health management are discussed. The authors concluded that a lot of effort is needed in order to find solutions that will meet organic standards requirements and guarantee high levels of health and welfare for animals. While organic standards offer a good framework for rural development, there is an obvious need for solving apparent conflicts between organic farming objectives and environment or public health while having in mind farmers' income and animal health monitoring. The key challenges for the future of organic livestock production in Croatia are related to the state-veterinarian-owner communication. Field experience shows that organic livestock production is no guarantee of good animal health and welfare. The development of quality frameworks for continuous animal health assessment and herd management standards are crucial. Epidemiological studies are needed to evaluate health risk factors for the animals in organic livestock production.