16. Animal Husbandry in Focus of Sustainability

The question of the sustainability of agricultural production, considering especially the animal production sector and its development, can be dated back to the second part of the twentieth century. Sustainability is a subject of priority today, as sustainability is considered to be a core element influencing our existence and in the survival of forthcoming generations. The notion of sustainability comprises three aspects: ecological, social and political and economic target systems, which by now have been supplemented with cultural and regional elements, including the protection of the environment, local traditions and the scale of values, cultural and historical heritage. The principles of sustainable development also include the improvement of human and animal health and the maintenance of vital rural communities. For centuries, sheep have contributed substantially to grassland-based agricultural production in Hungary. The sheep sector supports rural areas as a tool for sustainability in the animal production sector. This paper briefly reviews the levels of sustainability in Hungarian animal production, focusing particularly on sheep production. We then identify the most significant economic issues affecting this sustainability through use of a “SWOT” analysis, a “problem tree” and “structure of objectives” methods, based on our findings.