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EAAP for FP7
AID MEMOIRE
Programme Framework 7
High level theme 2 “Food, agriculture and
biotechnology “
Priority Areas in Animal Science and
Animal Production
The present document is based on the knowledge and evaluation of
past and current developments and trends in animal research and
production carried out by the most prominent European scientists
and professionals. The Priority Areas in Animal Science and
Animal Production have been selected in an attempt to visualise
science and animal production in the foreseeable future as well
as impacts of the current and announced reforms of the Common
Agricultural Policy. An evaluation of the long-term outcome of
our current actions and decisions as well as forecasting the
character and dynamics of animal science itself and the nature
of the technological, environmental, industrial and social
framework have also been taken into account.
The Priority Areas presented in this document include a number
of indications regarding potential themes, part of which have
already been included in the current research as well as
problems requiring additional research aimed at developing new
science based technologies and production methods. They are
complementary to areas covered by Platforms on sustainable
animal breeding and reproduction and on animal health, and
presume adequate continuation of research in areas funded within
the previous Framework Programmes.
In recent years, there has been a growing public concern
regarding methods in which animal products have been produced
and how food animals are treated in the production process.
Scientific community and both national and EU funding agencies
in response to the public concern regarding animal welfare have
initiated several research projects, some of which have been
reported at the 55th EAAP Annual Meeting (Bled, Slovenia, 2004)
including some projects funded within the current Programme
Framework 6. Results of the majority of projects as well and
continued attention paid by the public indicated the need for
the further improvements in the concept of animal welfare and
for a new approach in relation to the social role and character
of animal production. This requires intensification of research
in areas related to animal welfare. In the first place, there is
a need for standards for animal welfare based on sound
scientific evidence and research data. The need for standards in
this field is evident both in intensive and in extensive systems.
Development of standards for animal welfare requires more
intensive basic and applied research in a number of fields such
as animal genetics (e.g. interaction between genotype and
environment, genetics of adaptability), animal physiology,
etology, animal health and management, production systems. On
the other hand, there is a need for the establishment of
reliable methods of measuring animal welfare at the farm level
and at the level of an individual animal.
New and improved knowledge of factors determining animal welfare
will have the direct and immediate implementation in production
technologies. It should be disseminated to producers and farming
community so as to contribute to the introduction of necessary
adaptation of production methods, including changes in
production systems. Some of technical norms and requirements
will have to be imposed by EU regulations, together with
standards to be adhered to and methods of measuring animal
welfare. Impact of these adaptation on costs of production and
the economy of animal industry and on global competitiveness of
the EU animal production should be monitored and analysed using
existing tools and methods as well as new ones to be developed
by related scientific disciplines and research.
Consumers and the general public should be continuously and in
the appropriate manner kept informed on new knowledge as well as
on production technologies applied and measure undertaken by
producers and legislators to ensure animal welfare. Increased
awareness of the European consumers on specificity, safety and
quality of animal products coming from the European farms as
well as transparency with regard to ways in which they are
produced and controlled could greatly contribute to more
balanced consumption of products in accordance with their origin.
In the future, the breeding of small and rare animal breeds will
play a major role due to its increased economic efficiency and
the consideration of social and environmental factors: landscape
conservation and agro-ecosystems management, their contribution
to the multifunctional character of agriculture, i.e.
maintenance of rural cultural diversity and rural development
and tourism, etc.
Many research areas will be dedicated to this field of activity.
Improved methods of monitoring the endangerment status of local
autochthonous farm animal genetic resources should be further
developed. Research in the field of relations between genetic
diversity and characteristics of local genetic resources and the
environment should be further enhanced. The on-going
conservation systems should be analysed and evaluated in order
to obtain the optimisation of resource utilisation in
conservation programmes. A standardised European
performance-testing regime suitable for small animal populations,
small farms and endangered breeds, and documentation of
characteristics of endangered farm animal breeds and populations
will be developed for in situ conservation and sustainable
utilisation.
Autochthonous processing technologies should be improved so as
to increase the quality and safety of products from local animal
breeds. New methods and technologies for the enhanced protection
and traceability of local and typical products, including DNA
techniques, should be developed.
The influence of climate change and variability on livestock
production systems is expected to be larger in the future and
especially in marginal areas, mainly due to the strong link with
local environment and the scarce access to technologies and
financial support. Incorporation of information and strategies
regarding responses to weather challenges will be necessary for
the future of livestock management. A good strategy for adapting
climate variability can potentially compensate some adverse
climate change impacts, and therefore food security and economic
efficiency will be improved.
Adaptation of livestock farming systems to climate constraints
must include the possibility of adapting the livestock. The
genotype components of the interaction between the animals and
the environment must be considered. A long-term approach to be
sustained should be dedicated to investigate strategies for
livestock production in areas in which there will be high
climatic constraints. The research should be based on the study
and identification of genes associated with the acclimation of
domestic animals to thermal stress. Breeding programs to
increase resistance particularly to heat stress should be
planned.
Decision makers in animal farming will need advanced methods of
investigations to improve predictions of climate variability and
projections of climate change, as a basis to develop integrated
projects for livestock and, more generally, agriculture
adaptability. They will need more efficient capacity to consider
climatic data and to elaborate projections for the future. The
development of new models that would connect socio-economic
aspects of land-use with climatic change is needed. New
disciplines, like agroclimatology, will be crucial to furnish
readily available inputs for integrating weather variability
effects useful for short and long-term livestock adjustment
strategies.
The current research in animal nutrition is oriented towards
study of requirements of genetically improved animals for
increase in safety and quality of animal products and for
ensuring economy and profitability of animal industry.
European Union is a net importer of protein feed, and, in this
respect, research for import substitution and protein feed
production also by utilisation of non-conventional and
alternative feeds is of particular importance. This may include
valorisation of marginal lands for feed production also in
connection with landscape management and the protection of the
environment.
Impact of feed processing in animal nutrition has also been in
the focus of the current research in this field. The problem
remains relevant also for the future research programmes.
The major part of intensive technologies currently applied
imposes the need for the use of drugs as feed additives, often
to compensate for some inadequacies and shortcomings in animal
production methods. The human health aspects, perception of
public and economy of production imposed the need for a
systematic study of drugs and their alternatives in animal
production.
Monitoring and analysis of policy impact
Policy measures approved within the reform of the Common
Agricultural Policy will influence entrepreneurial decisions of
farmers in accordance with market and effects of Single Payment
System. A number of farms will have to re-orientat production
activities or make new investment in conversion of their
production facilities. Monitoring of impact of these measures on
farm income will be carried out by inter-country bodies, such as
EAAP Beef Task Force and by related national research
institutions. Analyses of policy impact prepared by national and
inter-country bodies could contribute to the announced Mid-term
Review to be undertaken by the European Commission in 2008.
However, there is a need for an adequate financial support of
research for the development of new tools and methods in policy
analysis as a base for policy formulation.
Animal welfare
Genetic diversity
Climatic change and animal production
Nutrition