Expected impacts

HaloSheep project will impacts at the short and long terms, it will increase knowledge concerning the genetic diversity of local breeds, their adaptation capacity to salinity, higher temperature and their phenotypic traits and provide a longer-term impact as a basis for the sustainable development of small ruminant system. It will improve knowledge about extremophile flora, represented by halophytes and their possible adaptation with Climate change. The project is expected to help local communities to develop farms based on local breeds in order not only to increase production by terms of yields but also by terms of better-quality products and better biodiversity and environment management. HaloSheep will propose solutions for sustainable feeding system, based on an optimal valorisation of spontaneous halophytes and local feeds. Best practices for welfare and health management, based on reducing chemical inputs and use of natural compounds from halophytes will be proposed. The sustainability and viability of the farms could be achieved, with parallel amelioration of farmers ‘income. HaloSheep will encourage consumption of milk and meat produced according to agroecological and sustainable practices.