• The Agri-food Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA) and CIHEAM Zaragoza collaborate with this workshop to be held on 13 and 14 June, gathering experts from all over the country

The 20th Workshop on Animal Production, organized by the Interprofessional Association for Agricultural Development (AIDA), has attracted record numbers of participants who will be presenting 280 oral communications and posters. This year there is a clear interest in climate change and its impacts on animal production. Precision Livestock Farming is another topic of interest that top PLF professionals will be discussing in a special session.

More than 300 researchers and practitioners in animal production will travel from all over the country to the event which will begin with the opening lecture: "The role of the livestock sector and animal science in achieving the sustainable development goals" given by Dr Badi Besbes, head of the Animal Production and Health Division of the FAO and former CIHEAM Zaragoza student. The workshop will be opened by Raúl Compés, director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, Lucía Soriano, managing director of CITA, and Albina Sanz, researcher at CITA and vice president of AIDA.

Guillermo Ripoll, secretary of the workshop and researcher in CITA’s Department of Animal Science talks about the event: “This workshop has returned to face-to-face participation following the pandemic and the positive response is a good sign that animal science has remained active during this time. This edition has added new features, such as a subsection on precision livestock farming and a round table on the two-way relationship between climate change and livestock farming systems. We have also incorporated a more informal satellite activity in the evening targeting young researchers”.

The round table on climate change and animal production will be held on 14 June, organized by UEECA - the Union of Spanish Animal Science Organizations - and AIDA, and will count on the participation of researchers from CITA - Daniel Martín-Collado who will talk about “Farmers’ Perception of Climate Change”, and Margalida Joy who will address “The Impact of Climate Change on Plant Production and the Development of better adapted New Varieties. Use of co-products”. Roberto Brasero, the popular TV weather forecaster, will also participate via video.

UEECA with its 14 associations will hold an extraordinary assembly during the workshop, presided by Juan Manuel Corpa of the University CEU San Pablo.

Another new feature is an event organized in the city centre that will give young researchers the opportunity to interact with professionals who will talk about their research experiences. Also, as in previous editions, the Young Researcher Award will be given to the best communication in each session. The award consists of a prize of 100 € for upcoming new researchers (under the age of 35) who do not hold a doctorate degree and are the first authors of the papers presented.

Workshop collaborators include the Agri-Food Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), the University of Zaragoza (the Agri-Food Institute of Aragon and the Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences of Aragon), CIHEAM Zaragoza and the Spanish National Scientific Research Council (CSIC). The event is sponsored by Humeco, the Aragonese Association of Pig Veterinarians (A.V.P.A.), the cooperative group Pastores and the ARAPARDA breeders’ association. Albeitar, Mundo Ganadero, Tierras Vacuno and Zoetis.

For more information about the workshop, visit: https://www.aida-itea.org/index.php/jornadas-aida/jornadas-2023