Breeding Motives and Attitudes Towards Stakeholders: Implications for the Sustainability of Local Croatian Breeds

Understanding how breeders of local breeds view different social actors can be of great importance to the process of local breed conservation. The same goes for the motives in farming local breeds. However, there is little research that provides insight into these perspectives. The aim of this study was to investigate motives for farming and attitudes of Croatian breeders of two local cattle breeds (Istrian cattle and Buša), two local donkey breeds (Istrian donkey and Littoral Dinaric donkey), and one local horse breed (Croatian Posavina horse) towards consumers, the local population and the regional and national administration. In addition, the influence of motives, attitudes, and the socio-economic characteristics of the breeders on the planned scope of breeding over the next five years was investigated. The study was conducted on a sample of 204 breeders of selected local breeds. The results of the study show that the most important motive for keeping a local breed is the attractiveness (beauty) of the breed followed by its emotional and sentimental value. Around one-third of farmers have a relatively positive attitude towards all stakeholders, with the role of the local population and consumers being viewed most positively. Almost half of the farmers (49%) plan to increase the size of their herd and only 8% plan to reduce it or to stop farming. The planned farming volume over the next five years is significantly influenced by the importance of economic and traditional motives and the change in the number of animals over the last five years. This study represents a valuable contribution to understanding the views of farmers of local breeds towards key societal stakeholders, and the findings can be used in campaigns to promote the keeping of these valuable breeds.