The “Sheep-up” project aims to define an innovative integrated economic model for the rearing of native sheep breeds in marginal mountain areas (Valbelluna, Lessinia and the Altopiano di Asiago), aiming at the creation of added economic value for farmers.
The project was financed by  the Misura 16.1  and 16.2 of the Rural Development Programme of the Veneto Region (PSR) and it aims to improve the competitiveness of native sheep breeds, optimize the competitiveness of farms and identify the added value of local production to help farms differentiate their products, enhance the value of short supply chains and use their by-products.

The problem

The typical trend of the European Alpine arc in recent decades shows a significant decrease in the number of farms that practice sheep farming. These changes have been mainly influenced by the market and price support policies in order to achieve high economic efficiency. The increased specialization of farmed animals and the strong intensification of production have led to a halt in the development of the livestock sector in marginal Alpine areas and a growing gap between the domesticated animal and the natural environment. In these areas, the progressive abandonment of agricultural activity has led to the loss of biodiversity and the consequent “trivialization” of the territory. Nevertheless, in the areas of Valbelluna, Lessinia and Altopiano di Asiago there are still a number of native sheep and goat breeds (Brogna, Foza, Lamon and Alpagota), but the consistency of these breeds has been profoundly reduced in recent years.

The solution

The project will:

• internalize the economic value of the multiple externalities offered (nutraceutical and organoleptic value of sheep production, socio-cultural value of typical products, ecosystem value of breeding) through the characterization of the relationship animal-territory, production-territory, breeding-territory
• apply an interactive methodology for the development of the model for the improvement of company performance through the involvement of and the bearers of complementary technical-scientific skills, researchers and consultants (scientific community)
• improve the technical-professional skills of farmers and other subjects present on the farm for the development of new products, processes and services
• involve all the stakeholders of the territory potentially interested in the supply chain and in particular the world of young people: in fact, communication tools such as social networks will be used and moments of animation and comparison will be created.

Our contribution

The Etifor team is involved in the drafting of the Communication Plan and in the elaboration of the strategy for the dissemination of the project results, as well as in the coordination of the promotion, marketing and monitoring actions. During the project we will therefore realize the coordinated image of Sheep-up and its promotion online and offline through the realization of events on the territory, articles, interviews and information material.

On May 7, 2024, in Estoril, Portugal, the “Sheep Up” project was honoured as the “public’s favourite” at the EIP-AGRI Innovation Awards dedicated to the world of innovation and Operational Groups of the European Rural Network EUCAP. In the preceding weeks, 30 Operational Groups were submitted for public voting, and 11,000 people expressed their preferences online.

Here is the video presentation of the project:

Amount financed: € 384,586.53 total – Project leader: Centro Consorzi di Sedico (BL)
Amount of funding awarded to ETIFOR SRL € 46,368.88
Application no. 4113748 and related actions. Decree granting funding no. 783 of 05/04/2019
Initiative financed by the Programma di sviluppo rurale (PSR) per il Veneto 2014-2020
Body responsible for providing information: Centro Consorzi
Managing authority: Regione Veneto – Direzione AdG FEASR Bonifica e Irrigazione