SmartOvi: Innovation and new technologies to increase the sustainability of the sheep sector in Castile and León
- Type Project
- Status In progress
- Execution 2022 -2025
- Scope Autonómico
- Autonomous community Castilla y León
- Main source of financing CAP 2014-2020
- Project website SMARTOVI
The project aims to improve one of the fundamental aspects affecting farm innovation, which involves mobilizing the axis around which the sector revolves. This is achieved by studying the degree of implementation of innovations and new technologies in the sheep sector, understanding the available technologies and their application potential, proposing and implementing innovative farm management practices in the form of pilot tests, evaluating the potential impact of new practices on farm sustainability, and transferring information on new practices and pilot tests to the sector.
The project aims to improve one of the fundamental aspects that affect innovation in farms and that entails the mobilization of the axis on which the sector revolves:
- Digitization and modernization of farms.
- Improvement of the recruitment and management of the human resources needed for work on farms.
- Improving the public image of the sector (and of jobs related to animal handling).
- Study the degree of implementation of innovations and new technologies in the sheep sector.
- To know the available technologies and their application potential.
- To propose and implement innovative farm management practices in the form of pilot tests.
- Evaluate the potential impact of new practices on farm sustainability.
- Transfer information on new practices and pilot tests to the sector.
- Promote the creation of a network of demonstration farms (accessible to both the public and the sector itself).
The sheep sector generates around €490 million annually, dominated by dairy farming (890,000 milking ewes). Castile and León is the leading autonomous community in sheep milk production (57% of the national total), followed by Castile-La Mancha. Internationally, Spain is the fourth largest producer of sheep milk, behind Romania, Greece, and Italy.
Currently, the sector's productive potential is very high, yet it is experiencing progressive decline. Thus, between 2015 and 2020, 5% of sheep farms disappeared each year, a trend that is worsening over time (between 2020 and 2021, 7% of farms disappeared).
This problem is associated with multiple causes, involving factors such as difficulties in incorporating human resources (including generational replacement) and new technologies, the increase in production costs (energy and raw materials) and the zero ability of livestock farmers to negotiate prices.
The SmartOvi project aims to contribute to the development of the sheep sector in Castilla y León in terms of economic sustainability (optimizing productivity), environmental sustainability (minimizing the ecological footprint) and social sustainability (dignifying the work and improving its public image), accompanied by an improvement in animal welfare standards.
- Design of the project's communication strategy.
- Search for available technologies applicable to dairy sheep.
- Interviews have been conducted with livestock farmers and technicians in the sector to identify information/training needs at the operator or farmer level, to understand the degree of implementation of technological innovations on farms, and to assess positive and motivating aspects of the professionals who dedicate themselves daily to the care and management of livestock.
- In collaboration with the cooperatives' technicians and based on the data collected in the previous tasks, a proposal was developed outlining innovative management practices and technologies that could potentially be implemented on some of the participating farms. The measures were selected for their potential positive impact on farm productivity, animal welfare, and working conditions. In collaboration with the cooperatives and in coordination with the participating farmers, one practice per farm was selected for pilot testing throughout 2023.
- Throughout 2024, visits are being made to farms to gather feedback on the use and management of new technologies. Pilot tests are currently underway to assess the impact of implementing different technologies on farm sustainability.
- Address: Agrarian Technological Institute of Castilla y León (ITACYL), Burgos Road, km 119, 47071 Valladolid
- email: investigacionytecnologia@itacyl.es
Sheep farming contributes to environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
- Environmental sustainability
- Grazing helps control weed growth, prevent fires, and maintain the biodiversity of ecosystems.
- The carbon footprint in well-managed production systems is very low.
- Sheep consume natural foods (forage, pastures and cereal and legume grains) that are not directly usable by humans.
- Land used by ruminants is not suitable for cultivation.
- Economic sustainability
- Sheep produce milk (which is used for the manufacture of dairy products such as cheeses, cottage cheese, yogurts…), different types of meat (suckling lamb, lamb, mutton, lamb, adult sheep…), wool (textile, fertilizer, construction biomaterials) and leather.
- It generates organic fertilizer, reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers.
- Social sustainability
- Sheep farming generates employment and fosters a sense of belonging in rural areas.
- Sheep farming is linked to tradition and culture: transhumance, artisanal food production, and artisanal textiles.
- Promotion of indirect employment: provision of inputs (food and animal health products for livestock), technical services (veterinarians, nutritionists, facility maintenance), transport, shearing, etc., which contribute to boosting the rural economy.
- Instituto Tecnológico Agrario de Castilla y León (ITACYL)
- URCACYL, http://www.urcacyl.es/
- ASOVINO, http://lechazoycorderolechal.com/
- COBADU, https://www.cobadu.com/
- COGALA, https://www.opecyl.es/cogala
- Consorcio de Promoción del Ovino, https://lechedeoveja.com/
- COVISURLE, https://www.opecyl.es/covisurle
- VEGAESLA, https://madreesla.com/