Project

Networking European poultry actors for enhancing the compliance of biosecurity measures for a sustainable production

Acronym
NETPOULSAFE
Code
41T03420
Duration
01 October 2020 → 31 March 2024
Funding
European funding: framework programme
Research disciplines
  • Agricultural and food sciences
    • Agricultural animal husbandry
    • Animal health engineering
    • Veterinary epidemiology
    • Veterinary public health and food safety
Keywords
animal husbandry biosecurity compliance foodborne pathogens knowledge exchange poultry sector
Other information
 
Project description

Poultry sector is one of the main agricultural production systems in Europe, providing 15.2 million tonnes of poultry meat and over 7.5 million tonnes of eggs in 2018, with a 21.2 billion euro turnover in poultry meat in 2015 and 960 million euro worth of eggs in 2016. It is also a very sensitive sector regarding epidemics, that can impact the sector economics (e.g. 2015 and 2017 episodes of Avian Influenza) and also foodborne pathogens (Salmonella, Campylobacter, etc.) that may have an impact on public health. Biosecurity is acknowledged as the appropriate answer for preventing disease spread and safeguarding competitive and sustainable poultry farms. Best practices are known all over Europe but compliance of farmers and other operators (e.g. transport, hatcheries, etc.) to biosecurity may not be optimum. Stakeholders need to be supported for effectively implementing biosecurity practices. Project NETPOULSAFE aims to improve biosecurity compliance in poultry farming by compiling, validating and sharing supporting measures implemented or close to being into practice in seven large poultry producing countries, thanks to a network of seven national poultry Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). These multi-actor groups, gathering around 500 people, will be chaired and interconnected through Network Facilitators (NF) who will stimulate knowledge cross-fertilization and exchange both at national and European Union scales. Supporting measures will be collected from field and literature and analyzed from technical and socio-economic point of view to be either validated in pilot farms or directly disseminated to farmers, operators and advisors (incl. veterinarians). In-depth analysis of national contexts will enable to define tailored dissemination strategies. Material (incl. audio-visuals, factsheets, practice abstracts, e-learning modules) will be co-constructed with the National Poultry AKIS to ensure its acceptance and shared through most consulted channels and dedicated platform. Synergies with on-going activities, especially EIP-AGRI operational groups, will increase project impacts.

 
Role of Ghent University
Ghent University is leader of WP3 of the project and is contributing to many different tasks in the project. Besides we will act as promotor for several phd students. has an active role in the project and the professors act as promoters for the PhD students that will be trained during the project. WP of UGent: Evaluation of supporting measures to improve the compliance of biosecurity Task for UGent : Extension of Biocheck.ugent scoring tool (for breeders, turkey, ducks, backyard poultry)