Ruminant farming and employment
This document highlights the importance of livestock-related professions in maintaining production levels, employment, and the economic vitality of rural areas. Currently undergoing significant changes, the ruminant livestock sector offers employment opportunities for wage earners—whether directly on farms, through subcontracting, or shared employment arrangements. Moreover, although the workforce is still largely composed of family labor, ruminant farming is attracting individuals from outside traditional farming families who are seeking to reconnect with the land, reclaim the act of producing, or work closely with animals.
Beyond the jobs created directly on farms, livestock farming also generates indirect employment both upstream and downstream of the production chain. These direct and indirect jobs are often located in regions where a significant share of employment depends on agricultural and agri-food activities, giving them even greater importance. Finally, through the jobs it provides, livestock farming delivers many services to society, including the supply of healthy, high-nutritional-value food, the vitality and appeal of rural areas, environmental preservation, and the safeguarding of heritage and quality of life.