Background: Dairy cattle farming in the Saharan regions of Algeria has seen significant improvements over recent decades. However, due to the major challenges inherent to these arid areas, knowledge about their operation and sustainability remains limited. This study aims to assess and classify these farms based on their level of sustainability across three dimensions: agroecological, socioterritorial and economic. 
&nbsp; 
Methods: A field survey was conducted between October 2023 and April 2024 with 32 owners of dairy cattle farms in the Biskra and 60 in Gharda&iuml;a regions. The sustainability of the surveyed farms was assessed using the French IDEA3 method. 
&nbsp; 
Result: The typological analysis of the surveyed farms, based on their structural characteristics, identified five distinct profiles with statistically significant differences. Additionally, the classification of production systems according to their sustainability levels revealed six classes, characterized by dependence on external inputs, organizational and territorial weaknesses and economic vulnerability linked to market instability and limited financial autonomy. Only one class achieved sustainable status, representing 6.51% of the surveyed farms, while an intermediate transitional class (22.8%) demonstrated promising but insufficient sustainability performance. Furthermore, the sustainability assessment of structurally defined farm groups revealed generally low and unsustainable levels, indicating the absence of a structural model consistent with sustainable agriculture.

Sustainability Assessment of Intensive Dairy Cattle Systems in the Saharan Regions of Algeria