The aim of this study was to establish a farm typology of the suckler cow sector, based on a stratified sample of 66 farms in the region of Central Macedonia, Greece. The method of hierarchical cluster analysis has been used to typology and characterisation of the farming system. The farm size was determined by the number of suckler cows and total livestock units. The degree of intensification of the farming system was classified based on the stocking rate of available pastures, labour efficiency, housing system and level of infrastructure. Cow productivity was evaluated as the weaned calves to cows’ ratio. The profitability and the dependence of farms on subsidies were estimated by using gross profit with or without the addition of total subsidies. Following the results, four principal farming systems and one diversified were highlighted: firstly, a traditional, pasture-based, semi-extensive system with low profitability and strong dependence on subsidies was identified. Secondly, a viable and relatively profitable, despite the lack of pasture land, semi-intensive system was revealed. The third one was also a semi-intensive system with high pasture availability and low reliance on subsidies. The intensive farming system that was represented by the fourth case was unsustainable due to the absence of available pastures. The semi-intensive one, which characterised as ‘diversified’ was not a pure suckler cow farming system as it was mainly based on purchased calves fattening.

Lean Meat Percentage (LMP) is a key index for assessing pork carcass quality as well as determining carcass classification and price. This framework offers to farmers the incentive to achieve the desired organoleptic features; therefore LMP must be measured objectively online, by means of various measuring instruments. The aim of this work was to assess two different methods for predicting the lean meat percentage of pig carcasses in Greece in comparison to the European reference method. For this reason, the same 130 pig carcasses (65 males and 65 females) were measured using 2 prediction devices (Optiscan-TP and Optigrade-MCP) and subsequently were assessed according to European reference method. A formula corresponding to each device was constructed using the ordinary least squares (OLS)method and excluding the same outliers. Calculated RMSEP for all 130 carcasses was 2.46518 for Optiscan-TP and 2.48489 for Optigrade-MCP. It can be concluded that both methods perform entirely according to EU legislation (Commission Regulation (EC) 1249/2008, European Union, 2008), and results obtained are similar regardless of different measurement points and technologies.

Livestock production occupies a paradoxical position with respect to climate change: farm animals are highly vulnerable to heat stress, feed and water scarcity, and climate-sensitive disease, while the sector contributes an estimated 14.5% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, most of which is biogenic methane from enteric fermentation. This review evaluates the evidence for precision livestock farming (PLF)—continuous, automated, real-time monitoring of individual animals’ health, welfare, production and environmental impact—across dairy and beef cattle, small ruminants, pigs, and poultry. For mitigation, precision feeding and additive-dosing strategies have been associated with enteric methane reductions of approximately 10–25%; for adaptation, wearable and non-invasive sensors have been reported to detect heat-stress-related behavioural changes before productivity losses become apparent, and smart climate-control systems have been associated with housing energy-use reductions of roughly 5–10%. Much of this evidence derives from single-farm, small-sample or short-duration studies and should be read as indicative rather than generalisable. Adoption remains constrained by high investment costs, limited interoperability, insufficient technical support, and uneven applicability to extensive and smallholder systems. We conclude that PLF is a valuable enabling technology that, combined with genetic, nutritional, and management strategies, can strengthen the resilience and environmental sustainability of livestock systems under a changing climate.

Livestock systems are expected to convert human-inedible biomass into animal-source food while reducing their environmental footprint, and the circular economy (CE) provides a framework for this transition. This review argues that the circular value of a feed resource depends less on its availability than on three conditions: the processing required before it can be fed safely, the controllability of its variability and hazards, and the comparability of the life cycle assessment (LCA) evidence for its environmental benefit. Accordingly, resources are classified as suitable for direct feed use (e.g., oilseed meals, distillery co-products, former foodstuffs), requiring biological or technological upgrading (e.g., solid-state fermented residues, insect meal, single-cell protein), or better suited to non-feed valorisation. Nutritional evidence, LCA findings, One Health hazards and regulatory constraints are compared across these classes, distinguishing LCA values reported by original studies from qualitative estimates. A Mediterranean case study on olive mill by-products and phytogenic additives in swine, largely conducted by the authors, is presented separately, with its limits of generalisation. Linkages and trade-offs with the Sustainable Development Goals are examined, and precision livestock farming is evaluated as a conditional enabler rather than a prerequisite. Research priorities are proposed.

• Sheep and goat pox (SGP) in Greece (2024-2025) is analysed as both an animal-health emergency and a governance stress-test. • The paper integrates epidemiological reasoning with political economy, mechanism design, and liberal public-policy criteria. • The framework provides transferable lessons for EU-aligned preparedness and response in small-ruminant production systems.

This cross-sectional study assessed bulk-tank raw milk quality, subclinical mastitis burden, and farmers’ health management practices across 83 sheep and goat farms in the Epirus Region of northwestern Greece (October 2022–April 2023). Bulk-tank milk composition (fat 5.82%, protein 5.35%, lactose 4.82%) was consistent with Mediterranean small-ruminant norms. Mean somatic cell count (SCC) was 1123 ± 913 × 10³ cells/mL (median 883 × 10³); only 10.0% of farms met the healthy threshold (SCC ≤ 200 × 10³ cells/mL) and 26.2% exceeded the EU limit of 1500 × 10³ cells/mL (Regulation EC No 853/2004). SCC correlated positively with total bacterial count (Spearman ρ = 0.549, p < 0.001). Farmers were predominantly middle-aged (50.0 ± 11.8 years), exclusively male, and had low levels of formal education (9.0% university-educated); only 14.3% had regular veterinary support, and 34.9% practised post-milking teat dipping. Despite 51.3% self-reporting mastitis, no management or demographic variable was significantly associated with SCC after Bonferroni correction; education showed the strongest trend (Kruskal–Wallis H = 9.13, p = 0.058). The findings reveal widespread, largely undiagnosed subclinical mastitis driven by structural gaps in veterinary support, education, and hygiene practice, with direct implications for animal health and targeted advisory intervention.