The 75th EAAP Annual Meeting took place from 1 to 5 September 2024 in Florence, Italy. This prestigious event, hosted by the European Federation of Animal Science, brought together researchers and industry professionals, NGOs and consumers under the theme "Global Quality: Environment, Animals, Food". The meeting featured a diverse range of sessions organised by 11 study commissions covering critical topics such as genetics, animal nutrition, health, welfare, and precision livestock farming.

With a record-setting 1,800+ abstracts from over 60 countries and nearly 2,000 participants, the event reflected the growing interest and importance of animal science research. Attendees explored how to improve farmed animal welfare, assess environmental impacts, and enhance food quality, with special plenary sessions and technical tours focused on sustainable practices and Mediterranean biodiversity.

CIHEAM Zaragoza was represented by Andrés Schlageter, administrator of the training area ‘Animal Production and Welfare’, who participated alongside alumni of the MSc in Animal Breeding and Reproduction Biotechnology, Iliyass Biaba and Pedro Nuñez, who presented their PhD research. Additionally, Ibtissam Kaikat and Carlos García Vasques, alumni of the MSc in Animal Nutrition, exhibited their PhD work. Their participation highlighted the ongoing contributions of CIHEAM Zaragoza alumni to the field of animal science.

CIHEAM Zaragoza has a long-standing tradition of organising highly specialised training activities in the field of animal production. Over the years, it has offered MSc programmes and advanced courses in areas such as genetic resources, feeding and nutrition, PLF, feed additives, breeding and reproduction, traceability, safety and quality, biotechnology, AMR, disease control, one-health approach, or bioinformatics, reflecting its commitment to enhancing scientific knowledge and practical skills in these domains. Examples include the highly regarded MSc programmes in ‘Animal Breeding and Reproduction Biotechnology’, and ‘Animal Nutrition’, both of which have produced professionals who contribute significantly to the animal science sector, or courses such as the upcoming “Farm animal welfare: regulatory framework, certification and labelling schemes”.

CIHEAM Zaragoza is also actively involved in several international projects that focus on sustainable animal production and innovative farming practices. For instance, the institution is participating in initiatives such as the Re-Livestock project, aimed to evaluate and mobilise the adoption of innovative practices applied cross-scale (animal, herd, farm, sector and region) to reduce GHG emissions from livestock farming systems and increase their capacity to deal with potential climate change impacts, and the Pastinnova project, which examines pastoral systems which are able to provide a broad array of ecosystem services along with high-quality products (dairy, meat, wool and processed) in a variety of agroecological and socioeconomic Mediterranean settings. These projects, among others, affirm CIHEAM Zaragoza's ongoing commitment to advancing research and innovation in animal production.