This study aimed to evaluate essential traits of donkey’s milk and cow’s milk kefir during storage for 28 days at +4 °C. The results showed that the pH decreases significantly during fermentation from 6.75 ± 0.045 to 4.22 ± 0.062 for cow’s milk and from 7.01 ± 0.011 to 4.28 ± 0.030 for donkey’s milk. Acidity values increased significantly during storage from 63 ± 2.08 °D to 170 ± 2.80 °D for cow’s milk and from 92 ± 1.0 °D to 163 ± 1.30 °D for donkey’s milk (p < 0.05). A significant variation in total solids was observed during storage. Stability in protein content was observed for kefirs during storage time. While the level of lactose decreased significantly during storage, the fat content did not vary in kefirs during storage time at 4 °C. For microbiological properties, donkey milk kefir presents a significant difference (p < 0.05) compared to bovine kefir. Donkey’s milk always contains the lowest average germs, suggesting a better microbiological quality than cow’s milk samples. The fermented milks showed an interesting antioxidant activity measured by the DPPH and ABTS assays, which were improved during storage. The Aeromonas hydrophila was the most sensitive bacterium to the action of kefir samples. Results from the sensorial test show that participants prefer kefirs freshly prepared than those stored after 28 days at 4 °C. In conclusion, related to its unique bioactive activities and microbiological properties, donkey’s milk could be an interesting kefir fermentation source materials alternative.

In order to deal with the effects of globalization, urbanization, increase in world population, global warming, and climate change; and according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 targets, which aim to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, it is urgently needed to transform our agriculture and livestock farming systems by taking into account the environmental considerations. The Breeding and management practices of indigenous bovine breeds: Solutions towards a sustainable future (BOVISOL) project is a scientific cooperation between three Mediterranean countries (Greece, Tunisia and Algeria) supported and funded by the European Commission under the European Research Area Networks (ERA-NET) scheme of the 7th Framework Programme. This project has been formed around the hypothesis that the local bovine breeds must be preserved since they possess a valuable genetic pool, and they are a part of the landscape and the biodiversity of rural areas. Moreover, their products (milk, cheese, meat, etc.) could contribute significantly to the local economies as they could easily be associated with recent food trends like “local” and “slow food”, which are considered today, as, not only a mean of nutrition, but also a way of living and a part of people’s identity. BOVISOL project aims to: (i) identify the local breeds and populations in a national level, (ii) describe the existing farm and breeding practices, (iii) analyze the quality of the main local animal products, (iv) propose solutions that will promote the sustainability of the traditional farming systems, especially nowadays that climate change proposes new challenges on animal production, and (v) disseminate the solutions on all the levels of the sector (farmers, scientists, local communities, governmental agencies).

The indigenous cattle populations are threatened by extinction in many countries of the Mediterranean area. The objective of this study is the analysis of local cattle breeds’ production systems in Algeria, Greece, and Tunisia and the identification of their future challenges and opportunities. A total of 385 surveys were conducted in these study areas: central and northern Greece (43); northern and northwestern Tunisia (167), and northeastern Algeria (175). Data collected concerned socio-economic parameters as well as the production system’s functionality, constraints, and opportunities. Results revealed an average farmers’ age of 52.6 years old. The illiteracy rate is high, especially in Algeria (39%) and Tunisia (44%), where the farm size is relatively small with an average of 14 and four animals per farm, respectively. In Greece, much higher numbers were recorded (89 animals/farm). The average cultivated feedstuffs’ area is larger in Greece (12.07 ha) and smaller in Algeria and Tunisia (6.11 and 2.88 ha, respectively). Feeding resources are based on rangelands. Farming systems are traditional extensive and complemented when needed. Milk and meat marketing vary throughout countries and are not well valorized. The main constraints are high feeding costs, low milk and meat prices, and absence of labeling. Local and local-crossbred bovine populations could be valorized based on their good adaptation criteria when applying convenient genetic and development strategies.

Global climate change inflicts unambiguous risks on agricultural systems and food security. Small ruminants are known for their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. This paper aims to characterize sheep production systems in a vulnerable agricultural zone and the breeders’ perceptions of climate change to apprehend challenges that they are confronting, and formulate resilience actions. The data analysis is based on 94 semi-structured surveys of sheep farmers carried out in the Tunisian semi-arid region. The PCA analysis results revealed three main sheep production systems. The agro-pastoral rain-fed system (AGPRF) is dominant (55%), with large farms and common pastures integrating cereals and fodder. The agro-pastoral irrigated system (AGPI: 20%) is characterized by small-area and forage irrigation (1.8 ha) and a smaller number of ewes but a greater use of animal feed supplementation. The agro-sylvo-pastoral system (AGSP: 25%) is a system where grazing is based on common lands and using tree sub-products, while the agricultural area is exclusively used to cultivate cereal crops. Sheep breeders’ climate perceptions are summarized as unpredictable climate events, a decrease in precipitation, and an increase in temperature. Resilience actions principally consist of reducing flocks’ numbers, using alternative local feed, fodder, and water resources, and building more shelters and planting more trees in the grazing areas. Nevertheless, cost-effectiveness should be considered in such vulnerable zones to insure the sheep production systems’ sustainability.

This study aimed to evaluate carcass and meat quality traits in Masri (n = 14) and North African (n = 14) male donkeys, raised in a semi-intensive breeding system, grazing on mountainous areas, with supplementation of 1 kg of barley per day per animal, slaughtered at 5 (±0.48) years old. Compared to Masri, the North African population exhibited higher (p < 0.05) final body weights (181.7 ± 2.1 and 212.5 ± 7.6 kg) and cold carcass weights (101.7 ± 1.3 and 116.2 ± 4.5 kg), but lower (p < 0.05) cold dressing percentages (56.0 ± 0.4 and 54.6 ± 0.4%). Meat quality analyses showed higher (p < 0.05) cooking loss values in Masri meat (43.9 ± 0.8 vs. 39.9 ± 1.2%). Among the meat color parameters, the hue value was higher (p < 0.05) in North African samples (0.42 ± 0.01 vs. 0.39 ± 0.1). Meat from North African donkeys had higher (p < 0.05) dry matter, fat, and protein contents. Meat amino acid analysis revealed abundant levels of lysine, leucine, and methionine, in both populations. Donkey meat from both populations presented a high polyunsaturated fatty acids content, resulting in polyunsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids and omega 6/omega 3 ratios for all breeds close to the recommended values for human health. Atherogenic and thrombogenic indices were also suggested to have positive effects on consumers’ artery health. The characteristics of donkey meat present intriguing nutritional aspects compared to ruminant meat, and its production should be encouraged in the rural development of inner-Mediterranean areas.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementing a wheat straw-based diet with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S.C.) on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, body weight and reproduction performance. The experiment was conducted on 14 Queue Fine de l’Ouest rams between 3 and 4 years of age (body weight (B.W.): 54.7 ± 2.03 kg; body condition score (B.C.S.): 3.5 ± 0.5), for 80 days during the breeding season. The rams were divided into two homogenous groups (n = 7), housed individually in floor pens, and allocated to two dietary treatments. The control group was offered a basal diet of 1 kg/d of wheat straw and 700 g of concentrate. The experimental group (yeast) received the same basal diet supplemented with 10 g of S.C./head/day. The results indicated that the S.C. supplementation had no significant effect on the animal’s body weight, volume and concentration of semen, dry matter intake, crude protein digestibility and nitrogen balance. Compared to the control group, the S.C. addition improved (p < 0.05) the digestibility of dry matter by 7.3%, organic matter by 11.9% and crude fiber by 24%. In addition, the mass motility score increased for the yeast group compared to the control (3.7 ± 0.24 vs. 1.9 ± 0.27, p < 0.05). The total number of dead and abnormal spermatozoa decreased for the yeast group in contrast to the control group (9.28 ± 0.95 vs. 26.8 ± 3.85% and 25.5 ± 3.33 vs. 59.2 ± 2.78%, respectively; p < 0.05). These results showed that adding S.C. to Queue Fine de l’Ouest ram’s diet during breeding season could improve nutrient digestibility and reproductive performance.