Research priorities for EU sheep sector improvement

Research policy brief from SheepNet initiative outlines EU-wide strategies to improve sheep productivity, focusing on fertility, lamb survival, and farm efficiency. Identifies 19 priority research areas, 64 solutions, and 73 farmer-derived tips across genetics, disease management, and farming tools. Addresses regional disparities, technology adoption barriers, and calls for multilingual communication, financial incentives, and sustained stakeholder networks. Recommends targeted research, innovation funding, and cross-country knowledge sharing to reverse declining flock numbers and ensure sector sustainability.