Presentation

What is our objective?

The unit generatesknowledge to support sustainable transitions of family livestock farms inMediterranean and tropical areas. It focuses in particular on pastoralfarming and mixed crop-livestock farms.

Why are we interested inthese livestock farms?

In Mediterranean andtropical regions, ruminant farmers are faced with specific constraints in termsof access to fodder resources. They also must cope with significant economic,ecological and social changes. Our task is to understand, assess and accompanythese transformations. Our aim is to reinforce the vital role oflivestock in rural communities, in the supply of markets, and in the planningand management of agricultural and pastoral areas.

What is our approach?

Selmet is developing asystemic approach to livestock activities to analyze the dynamics of theselivestock farms and support their transition. Theaim us to undertake workat different scales, from the animal to the territory. This meanspromoting complementarity between "integrative" approaches that placelivestock in their environment and "bio-technical" approaches thatanalyze the components of livestock systems.

What organizations are weaffiliated with?

Selmet brings together agents from the following five departments :

• CIRAD - Département Environnements et sociétés (ES)
• INRAE - Département Physiologie animale et systèmes d'élevage (Phase) (département pilote pour l’INRAE)
• INRAE – Département Actions, Transitions et Territoires (ACT)
• INRAE – Département Génétique Animale (GA)
• Institut Agro-Montpellier: Département Milieux, Productions, Ressources et Systèmes (MPRS)