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Sustainable Goat Production in the Changing Climate

  • 1st Edition - May 14, 2025
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Veerasamy Sejian, M.V. Silpa, D. Thirunavukkarasu
  • Language: English

Sustainable Goat Production in the Changing Climate aims to make the global scientific and academic communities aware of the potential of goats as a livestock of the future. W… Read more

Description

Sustainable Goat Production in the Changing Climate aims to make the global scientific and academic communities aware of the potential of goats as a livestock of the future. When compared to more popular meat sources like cattle and swine, goats have a lower carbon footprint and can aid in mitigating the effects of climate change, as well as improving food production, poverty and equity issues. This book will discuss the implications of climate change on goat production systems and emphasize the physiological potential of goats to adapt to erratically changing climatic conditions. Furthermore, the book includes chapters on strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change on goat production and highlights novel technologies used to assess the impact of heat stress in goats. Technology transfer strategies and policy-related issues will also be covered.

Written and edited by an international team of experts on goats, livestock, animal agriculture, and climate-smart food systems, Sustainable Goat Production in the Changing Climate will appeal to a broad audience, from researchers to livestock specialists, veterinarians, and policymakers in food and sustainability.

Key features

  • Explores the potential of goats as future livestock species for animal-origin foods
  • Summarizes the impact of climate change on goats and goat production systems
  • Proposes technological interventions, ranging from management to bio-technological solutions
  • Identifies gaps in technology transfer activities and policymaking and provides solutions

Readership

Research scientists and academics in veterinary science and animal agriculture, particularly those interested in small ruminants and the impact of climate change on animal health/ wellbeing and animal products, Livestock specialists who raise goats and other small ruminants for food products, those working in the animal food processing industry

Table of contents

Section I: Climate Change and Goat welfare

1. Heat stress associated welfare indicators based on behavioural, physiological, endocrine, and biochemical response

2. Transportation of goats during summer season

Section II: Impact of Climate Change on Goat Production

3. Heat stress impact on growth performance in goats

4. Heat stress impact on reproductive performance in goats

5. Heat stress impact on meat characteristics and quality in goats

6. Climate change impact on products quality in goats

7. Heat stress impact on immune response in goats

8. Climate change associated nutritional stress on goat performance

9. Walking stress impact on goat production

10. Climate change associated water stress impact on goat production

11. Climate change associated disease occurrences in goats

Section III: Molecular mechanisms governing Goat Adaptation to climate change

12. Role of molecular chaperons governing heat stress response in goats

13. Heat stress mediated changes in the rumen microbiota in goats

14. Heat stress associated changes in the whole transcriptomics profile in goats

15. Epigenetic changes associated with goat adaptation

Section IV: Strategies to sustain goat production in the changing climate scenario

16. Enteric methane emission and strategies for mitigation in goats

17. Management strategies to sustain goat production

18. Challenges associated with controlling internal parasites in goats

19. Nutritional interventions to augment goat production

20. Biotechnological tools and genetic approaches to optimize goat production in changing climate scenario

21. Climate resistant technologies for goat production

22. Extension strategies in adaptation to climate change with a special reference to goat farming

23. Strengthening Climatic research-Extension-Farmers linkages to promote climate resilience goat production system

24. Climate change associated economic implications of goat farming and role of women in mitigating the effects

25. Adaptation of livestock services delivery system to mitigate the effects of climate change on goat farming

26. Policies upscaling for future goat production

Section V: Conclusion and Future Projections

27. Concluding remarks and future researchable priorities

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: June 24, 2025
  • Language: English

About the editors

VS

Veerasamy Sejian

Dr. Veerasamy Sejian (M.V.Sc., PhD.), is Dean, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Puducherry, India. He was previously Principal Scientist at ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP), Bangalore, India. Dr. Sejian established the concept of “Multiple stresses impacting small ruminants”. His current research focuses on identifying molecular markers for different environmental stresses in goats with the goal to develop agro-ecological zone specific thermo-tolerant breeds through metagenomic, transcriptomic and epigenetic changes associated approaches. Dr. Sejian has published 165 peer-reviewed articles, 119 book chapters, 285 invited/lead papers, 170 conference papers and 22 technical manuals, as well as three International Springer books. He was bestowed with Endeavour Research Fellowship by the Australian Government to pursue post doctorate at The University of Queensland, Australia. Dr. Sejian is also listed in world top 2% scientists by Stanford University, USA during the academic years 2020-2021 & 2021-2022. Sejian is also serving as Field Editor in Springer’s International Journal of Biometeorology, Associate Editor in Elsevier’s Small Ruminants Research and Academic Editor in PLOS Climate. He has guided 18 Masters and 3 PhD students.
Affiliations and expertise
Dean, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Kurumbapet, Puducherry, India

MS

M.V. Silpa

Dr. M.V. Silpa (M.V.Sc) is a Research Assistant at the Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany. Her research primarily focuses on linking animal genetics with heat stress, its impact on animal production, adaptation and assess thermo-tolerance, in goats and dairy cattle. She has been working on establishing the impact of heat stress on caprine skin using a holistic approach involving skin metagenomics, transcriptomics and epigenetics. She’s also working on assessing the impact of heat stress in dairy cattle under field condition. In her short research career, she has published over 13 peer-reviewed publications 34 book chapters, 8 popular articles, 7 invited papers, 22 conference papers and 14 NCBI sequence submissions. She also has 6 best paper presentation awards to her credit. She is a budding researcher with a lot of aspirations to do advanced research in the field of animal genetics and thermo-tolerance in livestock.
Affiliations and expertise
Assistant Professor, Centre for Translational Research and Central Instrumentation Facility, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Kurumbapet, Puducherry, India

DT

D. Thirunavukkarasu

Dr. D. Thirunavukkarasu specialized in Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education and is currently serving as Scientist, Farm Science Centre of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India located at Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu. He has published peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and farm literatures. He has played a critical role in strengthening livestock-based livelihoods through technology transfer activities. In similar capacities, he has been associated with International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) and Indo-UK and DFID programs of RIVER, Puducherry in the past. He was a team member in establishing of Farm Science Centre(s) of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India. His current work focuses on socio-economic and behavioral factors driving adoption and diffusion of promoted technologies in the livestock sector. At his current workplace, he has been principal investigator /co-principal investigators for various research programs on technology transfer. He also has served as Chairman / members in advisory committee of masters and PhD students.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor, Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

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