## 3 Results
### Characterisation of the Production System  
The set of data obtained through the questionnaire gathered information from 20 producers of the Jarmelista breed in which 14 breeders were from Guarda Municipality (from the parishes of Guarda: 10%; [PERSON] 20%; and [PERSON]: 10%), three of the Municipality of Pinhel, one of the Municipality of Belmonte, one of the Municipality of Seia and 1 of the Municipality of Almeida (Figure 1). The majority of the farms are from small dimension. The farms of the 20 producers could be divided in three classes. Four farms have more than 60 ha of total area, and four others have areas between 30 and 60 ha, while the remaining 12 have areas of less than 30 ha. Figure 2 presents the three classes of farms according to their total areas, utilised agricultural area (UAAs), pastures area and area of crops dedicated to cultures used for animal feed. As can be seen, pastures represent more than 50% of the farm areas in all cases. Furthermore, 95% of the breeders have less than 10 hectares of annual crops for livestock feed. Regarding the feed system (Table 1), most of the farmers raised their animals without commercial feeds or other types of processed foods. However, it can be pointed out that two producers only use commercial feed. These two producers had 10 and 11 Jarmelista cows, respectively, and seven and eight Jarmelista calves with ages ranging from 6 to 24 months. By crossing the information regarding the age of the animals and their type of feed, it was found that, except for those two producers, the introduction of commercial feed, when it occurs, is only after the weaning or in adulthood. After weaning and until slaughter, 45% of the farmers inquired opted for a feeding regime composed of grazing, hay, and straw. It was also noticed that, of the different feeding options available (grazing, hay, straw, feed, oat fodder, rye fodder and herb fodder), 85% use grazing; 75% use hay; 70% use straw; 40% use feed; 10% use oats and rye forage; and 5% herb fodder, as noted in Table 1.  
Figure 1: Map of the Region and Jarmelista productions. Source: Author’s calculation from research dataset of structured survey. Figure 2: Characterisation of Jarmelista producer’s farms. Source: authors’ calculations from the structured survey research dataset. As previously pointed, altitude pastures are subjected to specific limitations, namely their climate and topography. The availability and quality of pasture are not constant throughout the year, so it is not always sufficient to cover animals' needs throughout their growth cycle. Low temperatures and the lack of water, are the main limitations for pasture development. During this period, supplements such as hay and straw are provided. A correct and balanced diet is one of the most critical factors in cattle production and, therefore, pasture management, by allowing control over the quantity and quality of available grass, becomes crucial for the nutritive value of the grass, which in turn determines the animal diet. The maintenance of this autochthonous breed in the region can have a significant contribution to sustainability either directly or indirectly. The maintenance of altitude pastures and associated agricultural practices contributes to avoid the abandonment of these areas and prevents the excessive accumulation of biomass, reducing therefore the potential impacts of forest fires. Besides, the maintenance of these pastures avoids the expansion of land areas dedicated to the production of _Eucalyptus globulus_ which has been a matter of continuous controversy in Portugal due to its negative impact over native species. Therefore, extensive cattle grazing in the region has a positive impact on the environment and, simultaneously, can contribute to reduce the country's dependence on external meat markets. Exotic breeds are not well adapted to the harsh weather conditions of the region and require improved quality feed, namely the use of commercial feeds.