Economic contribution and viability of dairy goats: implications for a breeding programme

To augment the incomes of smallholder farmers in Kenya and consequently improve their nutrition and income, many development organisations and policy makers are increasingly promoting dairy goat farming. Among the key organisations supporting the initiative is Heifer Project International—Kenya (HPIK). However, the economic contribution and viability of dairy goats under the HPIK project have not been studied so far. The aim of the present study was to determine the contribution of dairy goats to household income and the performance of the dairy goat enterprise using gross and net margins from dairy goat farming as an indicator of economic viability. A survey covering 71 farmers was carried out in the Coast, Nyanza, and the Rift Valley provinces of Kenya using a set of pre-tested structured and semi-structured questionnaires. Results showed that, on average, the dairy goat enterprise contributed, correspondingly, about 15.2% and 4.8% to the total livestock and overall household income and was viable. Differences in gross and net margins across agroecological zones were attributed to milk prices. Despite the existence of non-viable enterprises in two of the provinces, the few present suggest the possibility of obtaining reliable incomes from the enterprise. Redoubling of effort or re-orientation of production to match the local and external requirements would, however, be necessary. Costs and revenues were similar across the agroecological zones. Farmers with positive gross margins had better milk and stock sales and vice versa. The success of a dairy goat enterprise is attributed to location and good management. Besides, farmers’ awareness of the market demands within and outside the community is important in establishing production goals and may be crucial to achieving a positive gross margin.     

Analysis of production objectives and breeding practices of dairy goats in Kenya

Production objectives and breeding practices of smallholder households participating in dairy goat breeding projects were analysed in relation to their ability to bring about sustainable genetic improvement in the dairy goat flocks in Kenya. A stratified survey involving 311 goat keepers in 4 project sites was used. This employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods to get a holistic view of dairy goats, and take into account the full array of contributions of dairy goats to the smallholder households. Milk production and sales of breeding stock were high priority functions for the objective to create a financial buffer. The breeding objective traits that farmers perceived as being of primary importance were milk yield, growth rate, body size, fertility and disease tolerance. There were logical trade-offs in the choice of these traits by farmers. Female dairy goats were mainly culled due to old age, poor fertility, small body size and poor health. Farmers did not place a large significance on unsatisfactory milk performance when culling female goats, mainly due to the very small production size and the high demand existing for breeding animals. Factors affecting milk yield and flock size presented satisfied a P < 0.1 significance level. The performance levels of dairy goats were mainly influenced by breeding strategies and the resource availability at the farm level. The optimisation of genotype x environment interactions remains the biggest challenge given the objectives set by the farmer.     

Management practices to control gastrointestinal parasites in dairy and beef goats in Minas Gerais; Brazil

Parasitic infection is recognized worldwide as a limiting factor in the production of goats, and various control methods are used to reduce economic losses, often without considering the epidemiology of the parasites. This has led to the development of highly tolerant parasite populations and the presence of chemical residues in the beef and milk. The objective of this study was to determine the level of knowledge of goat farmers about parasitic diseases and to correlate this with the epidemiology of endoparasites and parasite control practices in goat farms in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The analysis was based on a questionnaire applied by trained veterinarians. The sample was homogeneous throughout the state, covering 18.4% (157/853) of municipalities. Eighty-four dairy goat farms in 81 municipalities and 200 properties with beef goats in 76 municipalities were evaluated. The herd size per goat farm ranged from 4 to 57 (average 24) for beef herds and from 2 to 308 (average 63) for dairy farms. The majority of the beef herd production was extensive and semi-extensive (98.5%), while the dairy herds were maintained under intensive farming (98.8%). The mixed production of goats and sheep was reported by 36.5% of beef goat farmers and by 20.2% of dairy goat farmers. Among the beef goats farms on which the technological level was determined, 2.0% were categorized as having high technological level, 34.5% as medium, and 63.5% as low. Of the 84 dairy farms, 30% operated at a high, 47% at a medium, and 23% at a low technological level. The adoption of practices to reduce parasitism, such as the quarantine of animals, treatment of newly arrived animals, regular cleaning of the floor, and technical assistance, was significantly higher on dairy farms than on beef farms. Although 85.7% of dairy farmers and 83% of beef farmers medicate their animals, the treatments were performed without technical criteria, and deworming intervals ranged from 30 to 120 days or more. The average interval between treatments was significantly longer in dairy goat herds (4.8 months) than in the beef herds (3.6 months). The most commonly used drugs were macrocyclic lactones (37.7% in dairy and 39.5% in beef herds) and benzimidazoles (48.9% in dairy and 31.5% in beef herds). Goat production in Minas Gerais is still in its infancy, and even though using a control program associated with other health practices, producers still rely heavily on chemicals to get satisfactory results.     

Diagnosis of paratuberculosis by fecal culture and ELISA on milk and serum samples in two types of Chilean dairy goat herds.

Fecal culture has been the primary method used to diagnose paratuberculosis in goats. It is laborious, slow, and expensive. Validation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) on milk samples could make paratuberculosis testing more widely available for goat farmers. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of serum and milk ELISAs for paratuberculosis, relative to fecal culture, in Chilean dairy goats. Eight dairy goat herds were selected. Feces, blood, and milk samples were collected from all female goats >2 years old. Fecal samples were cultured using Herrold egg yolk medium with mycobactin J and antibiotics. Serum and milk samples were tested using a commercial ELISA kit for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis antibody detection. A total of 383 goats were tested by ELISA and fecal culture. The sensitivity of ELISA on serum and milk relative to fecal culture was 74.3% (95% CI: 59.8-88.8) and 60% (95% CI: 43.8-76.2), respectively. The corresponding values for ELISA specificity based on the percentage of non- M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-infected goats testing ELISA-negative were 98.6% (95% CI: 96.6-100) and 99.3% (95% CI: 97.9-100) on serum and milk, respectively. Proportions of positive results for serum and fecal samples were significantly different, whereas the proportions of positive results for milk and fecal samples were not significantly different. The milk ELISA had a moderate level of agreement with fecal culture results (Kappa = 0.57). The paratuberculosis ELISA on goat milk samples may be a cost-effective, accurate alternative to fecal culture.     

奶山羊LF基因CDS区克隆、生物信息学分析及其乳中含量测定

为了解奶山羊乳铁蛋白（lactoferrin,LF）基因的生物学特性,分析萨能奶山羊不同泌乳时期乳中LF含量的变化,试验扩增了萨能奶山羊乳腺上皮细胞LF基因CDS区序列,运用生物信息学软件对奶山羊LF基因的核苷酸序列特性、编码蛋白的理化性质、保守结构域及高级结构、与其他物种的同源性等进行了分析,并对奶山羊乳样品进行了ELISA测定。结果表明,萨能奶山羊LF基因长为2 127 bp,编码708个氨基酸,编码蛋白质的分子式为C₃₄₀₅H₅₃₆₅N₉₄₉O₁₀₂₄S₄₃,是一个不稳定的亲水性蛋白,二级结构包含α-螺旋、延伸链和无规则卷曲,具有与转铁蛋白相似的折叠方式;羊乳铁蛋白氨基酸残基组成单链,形成77.359 ku具有高级结构的糖蛋白;通过比对发现,牛科LF氨基酸序列的同源性较高（>92%）,与其他物种的差异较大,其中萨能奶山羊与山羊的同源性最高（99%）,且处于进化树的同一个分支。ELISA检测结果发现,奶山羊初乳中LF含量最高,常乳中的含量较低且较为稳定。研究结果初步表明了萨能奶山羊LF序列和结构域特点,揭示了萨能奶山羊乳中LF含量的变化规律,为LF功能研究、产品研发等提供参考。     

奶山羊养殖与其他养殖项目的比较优势

奶山羊养殖是一项投资小、设备及技术要求低、资金周转快、收益相对稳定的养殖产业项目,很适应农村发展。奶山羊以产奶为主,奶肉兼用,可提供营养丰富、适口性好的生鲜乳和鲜羊肉,市场需求量大;近年来,活羊出栏价相对稳定,在中小城市,羊肉价格保持在80元/kg左右,鲜羊奶市场价格在14元/kg左右。奶山羊体格健壮、活泼好动,适应性广、生存能力强,爱清洁、喜干燥,既适应放牧又适应圈养;体质较好,相对皮实,抗病能力强,对饲养管理要求不高,较适应农户养殖。本文分析了奶山羊养殖相对于奶牛、绵羊、生猪、肉牛及家禽养殖等具有的优势。     

世界及我国奶山羊产业发展现状及趋势分析

近年来,世界山羊养殖数量持续增长,据联合国粮农组织(FAO)统计显示,2018年全球山羊养殖数量已超10.4亿只,其中奶山羊养殖数量超2.16亿只,约有90%以上的奶山羊和山羊奶产自亚洲和非洲。欧洲的奶山羊存栏和产奶量均在亚洲和非洲之后,但其单产水平远高于其他各大洲,在世界奶山羊每只平均年产奶量100 kg以上的国家中,前十位均为欧洲国家。我国奶山羊产业发展迅速,2018年我国奶山羊实际存栏约518万只,年产羊奶量约100万t,约占全国鲜奶产量的3.3%。本文对全球及我国奶山羊产业进行了纵向和横向比较,客观分析我国奶山羊产业的地位、发展现状以及未来发展趋势,旨在为我国奶山羊产业的发展提供参考。     

干扰CREB基因对奶山羊乳腺上皮细胞脂质合成相关基因表达及甘油三酯合成的影响

旨在筛选奶山羊cAMP应答元件结合蛋白CREB（cAMP response element binding protein）基因的siRNA,揭示干扰该基因后对乳腺上皮细胞中乳脂合成相关基因表达及甘油三酯合成的影响。本研究通过qRT-PCR方法从西农萨能奶山羊乳腺组织中扩增CREB基因完整的CDS区,进行序列分析和不同泌乳时期表达水平分析,合成靶向CREB基因的siRNA,利用荧光定量PCR筛选有效siRNA,并检测脂质合成相关基因的表达,采用试剂盒检测细胞内甘油三酯含量。结果表明：1）克隆得到全长为984 bp的奶山羊CREB基因的CDS区（GenBank登录号：MK158073）,并对其进行生物信息学分析。2）该基因在奶山羊泌乳盛期乳腺组织的表达量为干奶期的1.93倍（P<0.05）。3）成功筛选到靶向CREB基因的有效siRNA,干扰效率为72%（P<0.01）;并将其在奶山羊乳腺上皮细胞进行转染,通过qRT-PCR检测脂质合成相关基因的表达,与对照组相比,干扰CREB基因后显著抑制了FASN、ACACA、SCD1、FABP3、LPL、CPT1B、GPAM和DGAT2基因表达量（P<0.05）,并显著增加了HSL基因表达量（P<0.05）;且细胞内甘油三酯含量被显著下调（P<0.05）。综上所述,CREB基因在奶山羊原代乳腺上皮细胞中很可能通过调控脂质代谢相关基因的表达及甘油三酯含量对山羊的乳脂合成过程发挥重要作用。     

不同能量和蛋白水平日粮对西农萨能奶山羊泌乳性能的影响

为筛选西农萨能奶山羊泌乳期全价料最适能量和蛋白水平,选取体重(50.56±0.76)kg、胎次(2～3)、产奶量(2.12±0.10)kg/d相近和分娩日期与体况一致,并处于泌乳高峰期的健康西农萨能奶山羊36只,随机分为6组,每组6只。采用3×2因子随机区组试验设计6种日粮,NE水平为12.64、13.08和13.52MJ/d,CP水平为16.13%和17.82%。试验期84d,共分4个阶段,每阶段21d。结果表明:日粮NE和CP水平对奶山羊DMI和血液生化指标没有显著影响,但存在交互作用,NE 13.52MJ/d和CP16.13%处理组的DMI最高。随日粮NE和CP水平升高泌乳量增加,其中CP提高可显著增加泌乳量(P=0.041);而乳脂肪、乳蛋白、乳糖、干物质和非脂乳固体等乳成分指标则降低,其中CP提高可显著降低乳蛋白(P=0.013)和非脂乳固体(P=0.031);日粮NE和CP水平对奶山羊泌乳性能的影响存在交互作用,NE 13.52MJ/d和CP17.82%时泌乳量最高,而NE 13.08MJ/d和CP16.13%时乳品质最好。综合各项指标并考虑生产实际,得出西农萨能奶山羊泌乳期日粮适宜的NE和CP水平分别为13.08MJ/d和CP16.13%。     

关中地区规模化奶山羊养殖场机器挤奶现状及建议

对陕西省关中地区31个不同规模的奶山羊养殖场使用机器挤奶的相关数据及资料进行分析。结果表明,不同奶山羊养殖场规模、挤奶设备、挤奶时间、质检方式和羊奶售价等方面均存在差异;机器挤奶流程、挤奶次数和环境卫生等影响到奶山羊乳房健康和羊奶品质。应加强对养殖场挤奶机器的管理,规范机器挤奶技术流程,提高奶山羊养殖场生产效益。     

Cohort study of natural transmission and two methods for control of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus infection in goats on a California dairy.

A prospective observational cohort study of 361 dairy goat kids was conducted to compare 2 methods of controlling caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus infection under commercial dairy conditions. To compare effectiveness of feeding kids pasteurized milk vs serologic testing and segregation in addition to pasteurized milk feeding, goats were monitored up to the age of 30 months by use of monthly agar gel immunodiffusion testing. Survival analysis methods were used to determine whether age at seroconversion differed between the 2 groups. Significantly lower rates of seroconversion were observed in the segregated group (P < 0.001), compared with the nonsegregated group. Of 193 goats in the pasteurized milk-only group, 146 (75.6%) seroconverted within the 30-month study period, whereas infection was detected in 39 (23.2%) of 168 goats in the test/segregated group. Nonsegregated goats were 3.37 times more likely to seroconvert by 24 months of age, and 70.3% of seroconversions by 24 months of age could be attributed to nonsegregation. For age-specific intervals beyond 180 days of age, 70 to 100% of seroconversions could be attributed to lack of segregation. Cohort life tables for age at seroconversion were reported for each group. Type of colostrum fed, sex, and weaning group (season) were not significantly associated with age at seroconversion. Saanen goats had lower age-specific risk of seroconversion in the nonsegregated group alone and overall. Non-Saanen goats wee 1.5 times more likely to seroconvert than were Saanen goats, when adjusted for a possible confounding effect of weaning group. Results indicate that pasteurized milk feeding and routine test and segregation would be a substantially more effective means of control of the disease in dairy goat herds than would pasteurized milk feeding alone.     

日粮中不同马齿苋青贮添加量对奶山羊泌乳性能的影响

本试验旨在研究添加不同剂量马齿苋青贮对奶山羊泌乳性能的影响。选取体重（62±3）kg、1~2胎次、产奶量（1.90±0.15）kg/d、泌乳期相近（产后0~60 d）的健康奶山羊12只，随机分为4组，每组3个重复，每个重复1只羊。在奶山羊全混合日粮（TMR）中分别添加0（CK组）、10（A组）、20（B组）和30 g/d DM（C组）马齿苋青贮添加剂，试验期共75 d，其中预试期15 d，正试期60 d。试验期间测定每组奶山羊干物质采食量、产奶量、乳品质及血液生化指标。结果显示：随马齿苋青贮添加量的增加，奶山羊干物质采食量随之增加；添加马齿苋青贮的试验组奶山羊泌乳量均高于对照组；羊乳的pH呈弱碱性（7.10~7.24），并随马齿苋青贮添加量增加而降低，其中CK组最高，C组最低；羊乳中乳糖、总多酚（TPC）、总黄酮（TFC）和β胡萝卜素的含量均随着马齿苋青贮添加量增加而增多；血液中总胆固醇含量则相反。综上所述，日粮中添加马齿苋青贮对奶山羊无不良影响，可一定程度上提高奶山羊干物质采食量、泌乳量及乳品质，降低血液中总胆固醇含量。     

奶山羊产奶性状相关基因的筛选与功能研究进展

奶山羊作为乳用品种的山羊,因其具有奶质优良、产奶性能稳定、乳汁营养丰富等特点,逐渐成为畜牧业发展的一大亮点。经过多年的选种选育,我国现已拥有了多个地方奶山羊品种。随着分子育种技术的发展,对于奶山羊产奶性状相关基因的研究越来越多。对奶山羊产奶性状相关基因的研究进展进行综述,以期为奶山羊优秀基因资源的研究、保护和利用提供理论依据。     

Diagnostic tools to monitor udder health in dairy goats

This article discusses the use of somatic cell count (SCC) and bacteriological culture (BC) as monitoring tools to assess the udder health situation of dairy goats. Both SCC and BC can be applied for milk samples from individual goats or at bulk milk samples. The causative agent of primary concern in the dairy goat industry is Staphylococcus aureus. This pathogen strongly increases goat milk SCC. The SCC is therefore a useful test to detect S. aureus-infected goats. However, several non-infectious factors, most importantly the stage of lactation, also influence SCC, complicating the interpretation of this test. BC has a low sensitivity for the detection of S. aureus-infected goats, but is a valuable tool to obtain information on which bacterial species are responsible for udder health problems in a herd.     

Microbiological quality of goat's milk obtained under different production systems

In order to determine the safety of milk produced by smallholder dairy goat farms, a farm-based research study was conducted on commercial dairy goat farms to compare the microbiological quality of milk produced using 3 different types of dairy goat production systems (intensive, semi-intensive and extensive). A survey of dairy goat farms in and around Pretoria carried out by means of a questionnaire revealed that most of the smallholder dairy goat farms surveyed used an extensive type of production system. The method of milking varied with the type of production system, i.e. machine milking; bucket system machine milking and hand-milking, respectively. Udder half milk samples (n=270) were analysed, of which 31.1% were infected with bacteria. The lowest intra-mammary infection was found amongst goats in the herd under the extensive system (13.3%), compared with 43.3% and 36.7% infection rates under the intensive and semi-intensive production systems, respectively. Staphylococcus intermedius (coagulase positive), Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus simulans (both coagulase negative), were the most common cause of intramammary infection with a prevalence of 85.7% of the infected udder halves. The remaining 14.3% of the infection was due to Staphylococcus aureus. Bacteriology of bulk milk samples on the other hand, showed that raw milk obtained by the bucket system milking machine had the lowest total bacterial count (16,450 colony forming units (CFU)/ml) compared to that by pipeline milking machine (36,300 CFU/ml) or hand-milking (48,000 CFU/ml). No significant relationship was found between the somatic cell counts (SCC) and presence of bacterial infection in goat milk In comparison with the herds under the other 2 production systems, it was shown that dairy goat farming under the extensive production system, where hand-milking was used, can be adequate for the production of safe raw goat milk.     

西农萨能奶山羊SERPINA1基因克隆、生物信息学及组织表达分析

本研究旨在克隆西农萨能奶山羊SERPINA1基因的CDS区,采用生物软件和在线预测工具进行生物信息学分析,通过实时荧光定量PCR技术检测SERPINA1基因在西农萨能奶山羊各组织间mRNA的表达水平。根据GenBank中山羊SERPINA1基因CDS区序列（登录号：XM_018066209.1）,利用Primer Premier 5.0软件设计特异性引物,RT-PCR扩增目的基因,构建原核表达载体测序后对序列进行生物信息学分析;采集西农萨能奶山羊心脏、肝脏、脾脏、肺脏、乳腺、肾脏、肌肉、瘤胃和小肠组织,提取组织RNA,反转录为cDNA模板,设计特异性定量引物,进行实时荧光定量PCR,检测SERPINA1基因在不同组织中的表达差异。结果显示,西农萨能奶山羊SERPINA1基因CDS区全长1 326 bp,编码441个氨基酸;同源性比对分析显示,西农萨能奶山羊与山羊、绵羊、牛和小鼠SERPINA1基因核苷酸序列同源性分别为100%、98.6%、95.7%和71.6%,与山羊亲缘关系最近,其次是绵羊。SERPINA1蛋白分子质量为48.71 ku,等电点为5.71,为跨膜亲水蛋白;SERPINA1氨基酸序列分别有62个磷酸化位点,3个跨膜区结构。组织表达分析显示,SERPINA1基因在西农萨能奶山羊肝脏组织中显著高表达（P<0.05）,其次是乳腺组织,在肺脏组织中表达量最低。研究结果为进一步探究SERPINA1基因在奶山羊乳蛋白合成代谢中的作用提供理论依据。     

Characterisation of adopters and non-adopters of dairy technologies in Ethiopia and Kenya

While there is a general consensus that using dairy technologies, such as improved breeds of dairy cows, can substantially increase farm productivity and income, adoption of such technologies has been generally low in developing countries. The underlying reasons for non-adoption of beneficial technologies in the dairy sector are not fully understood. In this study, we characterised adopters and non-adopters of dairy technologies in Ethiopia and Kenya based on farmers’ resources ownership in order to identify why many farmers in Ethiopia and Kenya have not adopted improved dairy technologies. As compared to non-adopters, farmers who adopt dairy technology own relatively more farm resources. The result signals that differences in resource endowments could lead to divergent technology adoption scenarios. Results show that a higher proportion of sample smallholders in Kenya have adopted dairy technologies than those in Ethiopia. Except for the use of veterinary services, fewer than 10% of sample farmers in Ethiopia have adopted dairy technologies—less than half the number of adopters in Kenya. The higher level of dairy technology adoption in Kenya can be ascribed partly to the long history of dairy development, including improvements in the value chain for the delivery of inputs, services and fluid milk marketing. Interventions that deal with the constraints related to access to farm resources and input and output markets could facilitate uptake of dairy technology in developing countries.     

Closantel plasma and milk disposition in dairy goats: assessment of drug residues in cheese and ricotta

Closantel (CLS) is currently used in programs for the strategic control of gastrointestinal nematodes. CLS is extralabel used in different dairy goat production systems. From available data in dairy cows, it can be concluded that residues of CLS persist in milk. The current work evaluated the concentration profiles of CLS in plasma and milk from lactating orally treated dairy goats to assess the residues pattern in dairy products such as cheese and ricotta. Six (6) female Saanen dairy goats were treated orally with CLS administered at 10 mg/kg. Blood and milk samples were collected between 0 and 36 days post‐treatment. The whole milk production was collected at 1, 4, 7, and 10 days post‐treatment to produce soft cheese and ricotta. CLS concentrations in plasma, milk, cheese, whey, and ricotta were determined by HPLC. The concentrations of CLS measured in plasma were higher than those measured in milk at all sampling times. However, the calculated withdrawal time for CLS in milk was between 39 and 43 days postadministration to dairy goats. CLS residual concentrations in cheese (between 0.93 and 1.8 μg/g) were higher than those measured in the milk used for its production. CLS concentrations in ricotta were sixfold higher than those in the milk and 20‐fold higher than those in the whey used for its production. The persistent and high residual concentrations of CLS in the milk and in the cheese and ricotta should be seriously considered before issuing any recommendation on the extralabel use of CLS in dairy goat farms.     

Isolation of a rare Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain from farm animals in Greece

A strain of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was isolated from goat faeces during a surveillance study on the prevalence of this serotype of E. coli in farm animals in Greece. Three hundred and fifty one faecal samples were collected from goat, sheep and cattle breeding farms in the area of Epirus, Northwestern Greece. The E. coli O157:H7 isolate was nonsorbitol-fermenter, produced only VT2 and showed a beta-glucuronidase positive activity, a rather unusual biochemical feature for the E. coli O157:H7 serotype. No other strain of E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from the faecal samples of the rest farm animals examined, thus the overall prevalence of animal carriage was found to be 0.2%. The findings also indicate that goats can be a reservoir of E. coli O157:H7 and goat milk, dairy products and meat may serve as a vehicle for the pathogen transmission to humans.     

Dairy goat production systems

Goat production concentrated in developing countries (tropics, dry areas), contributes largely to the livelihoods of low and medium income farmers. Farming systems in these areas have evolved to cope with the formidable constraints imposed by harsh natural and economic conditions by adapting integrated crop/livestock production strategies. In Asia, Africa and Latin America, due to its almost exclusive extensive nature, goat production relies mainly on grazing on communal lands that hardly provide the minimum nutrient requirements due to overstocking and degradation. While some of these production systems are becoming semi-intensive, appropriate breeding strategies should be designed to promote conservation and improvement of their unique attributes, such as adaptability, water use efficiency and suitability under harsh climatic conditions. In Europe, dairy goat production is more common around the Mediterranean basin, where it is important from an economic, environmental and sociological perspective to the Mediterranean countries: Spain, France, Italy and Greece. Europe owns only 5.1 % of the world’s dairy goat herds, but produces 15.6 % of the world’s goat milk; this is the only continent where goat milk has such an economic importance and organization. In developing countries the dairy goat sector requires a systemic approach, whereby nutrition, animal health, breeding, know-how, inputs and technologies must be assembled. This would allow the optimization of natural and local resources and would promote the transition from a risk reduction strategy towards an increased productivity strategy. Such an increase would privilege production efficiency based on clean, green and ethical practices for responsible innovation.