EU CAP Network Support Facility ‘Innovation, knowledge exchange | EIP-AGRI’ and animal welfare
Many networking activities have been organised dealing with animal health and welfare
Livestock farmers are facing a number of challenges today. Demands for more animal health and welfare need to be balanced with stable production and a good income. Animal welfare is a prominent issue in public debate across EU countries, particularly in discussions about the quality and sustainability of livestock-derived food. Many networking activities have been organised dealing with animal health and welfare: Focus Groups, workshops, Operational Groups and publications and many more listed below.
You can take a look at the EU CAP Network Newsletter on Innovation & knowledge exchange | EIP-AGRI Newsletter in October 2023 which focuses on animal welfare. The EIP-AGRI Newsletter from July 2020 was also dedicated to animal health and welfare.
For all relevant EU CAP Network - Innovation & knowledge exchange including EIP-AGRI activities, see below
Focus Groups
Focus Groups are temporary groups of selected experts focusing on a specific subject, sharing knowledge and experience. Several of them have worked on issues related to animal health and welfare. Click on each link below to find reports, factsheets and more:
- Animal husbandry - Reduction of antibiotic use in the pig sector
- Genetic resources - cooperation models
- High Nature Value (HNV) - Farming profitability
- Mainstreaming precision farming
- Profitability of permanent grassland
- Reducing emissions from cattle farming
- Nutrient recycling
- Robust and resilient dairy production systems
- Bee health and sustainable beekeeping
- Reducing antimicrobial use in poultry farming
- Wildlife and agricultural production
- Sustainable beef production systems
Events
Click on each link to find reports, presentations and more from events related to animal health and welfare:
- Seminar 'Data revolution: emerging new business models in the agri-food sector'
- Workshop on biosecurity in the EU
- Workshop 'Organic is Operational'
- Workshop 'Innovative solutions for small farms and forest holdings and access of small farms and forest holdings to new technologies '
- Workshop ‘Animal Welfare and Innovation’
Publications
As well as the Focus Group reports, the following publications which are relevant to animal health and welfare, were produced:
- Brochure Reducing antibiotics in pig farming
- Brochure Organic is operational
- Brochure Sustainable livestock farming
- Brochure Sustainable and resilient farming: Inspiration from agro-ecology
- Factsheet on Animal Welfare and innovation
Videos
Watch these videos on examples of animal health and welfare related initiatives:
- AGRI challenge: crop diversification in grassland
- AGRI challenge: monitoring bee health through beehive sensors
- AGRI challenge: reducing antimicrobials in poultry
- EIP-AGRI challenge: animal welfare and innovation
Inspirational ideas from the network
Articles on examples of animal health and welfare related initiatives from the network:
- Improving welfare for cows… and farmers (Denmark)
- Concrete solutions for sustainability and animal welfare (the Netherlands)
- Working on resilient dairy farming (Germany)
- Alternatives for expensive protein feed for laying hens (Germany)
- Goats in good company (Italy)
- Sustainable egg production (EU, the Netherlands)
- Automatic cleaning for pigs (Sweden)
- Improving chicken value chains - an Operational Group in Germany (Germany)
- A network to improve health management in pigs (Germany)
- Cutting antibiotic use in pig farming (The Netherlands)
- Decision support tool for dairy farm management (Slovakia)
- Adding a touch of spice to improve animal health (Greece)
- Smart barn makes for happy pigs (Operational Group from The Netherlands)
- A national network for animal welfare in Germany (Germany)
- Organic experimental farm in Finland testing methods for improved animal welfare (Finland)
Operational Groups
Many Operational Group projects focus on finding innovative solutions for animal health and welfare. Browse the EIP-AGRI database (look in the keywords column for 'Animal husbandry and welfare').
Horizon projects
- Multi-actor: There are many Horizon multi-actor projects on animal health and welfare, examples :
- TechCare (2020-2024) Integrating innovative technologies along the value chain to improve small ruminant welfare management: Cordis
- PPILOW (2019-2024) Poultry and Pig Low-input and Organic production systems’ Welfare: Cordis – website
- Clearfarm (2019-2023) Co-designed Welfare Monitoring Platform for Pig and Dairy Cattle: Cordis - website
- BovINE (2020-2022) BovINE Beef Innovation Network Europe : Cordis – website
- Hennovation (2015-2017) (2020-2022) Practice-led innovation supported by science and market-driven actors in the laying hen and other livestock sectors: Cordis
- LIFT (COST action; 2022-2026) Lifting farm animal lives – laying the foundations for positive animal welfare: Cordis
- IPEMA (COST action; 2016-2020) Innovative approaches in pork production with entire males: Cordis
- aWISH (2022-2026) Animal Welfare Indicators at the SlaughterHouse. Automated monitoring at the slaughterhouse of complementary animal-based indicators for monitoring welfare on farm, during (un)loading, transport and slaughter. Piloting and development in broiler and fattening pig production chains: website
- Thematic networks examples:
- DISARM (01/2019-12/2021) - Disseminating Innovative Solutions for Antibiotic Resistance Management: Cordis - website
- EuroSheep (01/2020-12/2022) - European Network for interactive and innovative knowledge exchange on animal health and nutrition between the sheep industry actors and stakeholders: Cordis - website
- EU PiG (11/2016-10/2020) - EU Pig Innovation Group: Cordis - website - videos on pig health & welfare
- Other Horizon project examples :