PATHWAYS database system description and main type at NUTS2 level

This repository contains the questionnaire results from consulting livestock experts as part of the European H2020 PATHWAYS project (Pathways for transitions to sustainability in livestock husbandry and food systems) https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101000395. The aim of the database development was to create a spatially explicit typology of ruminant farming systems at NUTS2 level across the EU-27 and United Kingdom, including dairy cows, suckler cows and fattening cattle, plus dairy sheep, meat sheep and goats, for further use in modelling and policy analysis. The database typology development followed a multistage approach in which NUTS 2 regions were first grouped into homogeneous clusters based on EU statistical data from Eurostat and FADN and each cluster was then cross checked with expert knowledge (https://zenodo.org/uploads/19817114), and allocated to a livestock system described by an expert. This approach comprised three main steps: (i) selection of indicators for each livestock category from Eurostat (European Union, 2025) and the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN, 2023), (ii) application of a multivariate statistical procedure at NUTS 2 level to derive clusters from Eurostat and FADN data and aggregation of these clusters into a condensed number of systems, and (iii) consultation of experts to validate and describe these systems and to add husbandry information that is not available in EU databases. Only indicators available for all retained NUTS 2 regions for a given livestock category were included and the final set of variables used in the analysis is reported in the two files, which provide a description of livestock systems characterised in the PATHWAYS project: “PATHWAYS_database_systems_description.xlsx” provides: Qualitative and quantitative data for a wide range of variables regarding livestock system type, geographical extent, species, breed type, productivity, grazing patterns and feeding, housing. “PATHWAYS_maps_database_codes_by_NUTS2_Z2.xlsx” provides: Main livestock system types per NUTS2 region for spatial allocation of dominant ruminant systems per European NUTS2 region.本仓库收录了欧洲H2020计划PATHWAYS项目（Pathways for transitions to sustainability in livestock husbandry and food systems，即畜牧业与食品系统可持续转型路径）在咨询畜牧专家过程中产生的问卷调研结果，该项目编号为101000395，详情可访问https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101000395。 本数据库的构建目标是，针对欧盟27国与英国的NUTS2级区域，建立空间显性的反刍动物畜牧系统分类体系，涵盖奶牛、繁育母牛、育肥牛、奶绵羊、肉绵羊及山羊，以供后续建模与政策分析使用。 该数据库的分类体系构建采用多阶段研究方法：首先基于欧盟统计局（Eurostat）与农场会计数据网络（Farm Accountancy Data Network, 以下简称FADN）的统计数据，将NUTS2级区域划分为同质集群；随后结合专家知识对各集群进行交叉验证，并将其匹配至专家所定义的畜牧系统中（数据来源：https://zenodo.org/uploads/19817114）。该方法包含三个核心步骤：(i) 从欧盟统计局（Eurostat, 2025）与农场会计数据网络（FADN, 2023）中遴选适配各畜牧类别的指标；(ii) 在NUTS2级区域层面应用多元统计方法，基于Eurostat与FADN数据生成集群，并将这些集群聚合为数量精简的畜牧系统类型；(iii) 咨询专家以验证并细化上述系统，同时补充欧盟数据库未收录的养殖相关信息。 本次分析仅纳入针对指定畜牧类别、所有留存NUTS2级区域均可获取的指标，本分析最终使用的变量集已在两份文件中予以说明，这两份文件对PATHWAYS项目所界定的畜牧系统进行了系统性描述： "PATHWAYS_database_systems_description.xlsx"：收录了涵盖畜牧系统类型、地理范围、物种、品种类型、生产效率、放牧模式、饲喂方式及圈养模式等多类变量的定性与定量数据。 "PATHWAYS_maps_database_codes_by_NUTS2_Z2.xlsx"：提供了各NUTS2级区域对应的主要畜牧系统类型，用于欧洲NUTS2级区域优势反刍动物系统的空间匹配。