The multifunctional character of the transhumant sheep and goat farming system in Greece

Sheep and goat transhumance constitutes an extensive farming system in Greece, where it stands for about 7.5% of the total sheep and goat population. Transhumant flocks are displaced sometimes for hundreds of kilometers in order to take advantage of mountainous pasturelands in the summer. The purpose of this paper is to provide a presentation of its multifunctional character. Indeed, apart from the provision of income and employment, transhumant farms contribute substantially to safeguarding the livelihood of marginal rural areas, while they are linked to the continuation of traditional and cultural elements which shape the agricultural cultural heritage. The environmental role of the system is two-fold, as it sustains mountainous pasturelands as well as the protection of autochthonous sheep and goat breeds. In addition, the production of traditional dairy products constitutes an activity with economic interest for all stakeholders.