LowInputBreeds

Full title

LowInputBreeds: Development of integrated livestock breeding and management strategies to improve animal health, product quality and performance in European organic and ‘low input’ milk, meat and egg production – Ethical impact assessment

 

Grant agreement no.

222623

Time frame
1 May 2009 - 30 Apr 2014

External funding
(CeBRA's part):
EUR  67.500

External funding body
European Commission - FP7 

CeBRA responsible
Peter Sandøe (professor) University of Copenhagen, Institute of Food and Resource Economics 
Karsten Klint Jensen (associate professor) University of Copenhagen, Institute of Food and Resource Economics 

Coordinator of the full project
Carlo Leifert (professor), University of Newcastle (UK), Nafferton Ecological Farming Group

 

Aims
1. To develop and evaluate innovative breeding concepts, including (a) genome wide and (b) marker assisted selection, and (c) cross-, (d) ‘flower’- and (e) farmer participatory breeding strategies, which will deliver genotypes with ‘robustness’ and quality traits required under ‘low input’ conditions. The project will focus on 5 livestock production systems (dairy cows, dairy and meat sheep, pigs and laying hens) and design speciesspecific breeding strategies for different macroclimatic regions in Europe.

 

2. To integrate the use of improved genotypes with innovative management approaches including improved diets, feeding regimes and rearing systems. This will focus on issues (e.g. mastitis and parasite control, animal welfare problems) where breeding or management innovations alone are unlikely to provide satisfactory solutions.

 

3. To identify potential economic, environmental, genetic diversity/plasticity and ethical impacts of project deliverables to ensure they conform to different societal priorities and consumer demands/expectations and are acceptable to producers.

 

4. To establish an efficient training and dissemination programme aimed at rapid exploitation and application of project deliverables by the organic and ‘low input’ livestock industry.

 

Publications

Project website