“Animal wellbeing is at the start of a chain that links to farmer profitability, product quality, consumer satisfaction and environmental sustainability”.
This Action will focus on the talents, skills and resources of researchers, industry partners and stakeholders in the dairy-foods chain onto the topic of dairy animal health and welfare. European dairy farms are getting larger. Dairy cows remain in focus, but there is growing interest in other dairy species. Milking technology is advancing, as is biotechnology relevant to animal wellbeing. European consumers prioritise animal wellbeing and product quality, whilst recognizing the importance of global food security and the need for increased milk production. Relevant research is happening across different disciplines (biological, ethological, technological) and in many different and diverse parts of Europe. The Action will maximum value from this research by networking, coordination and avoiding duplication. The Action’s scientific focus will be on new and emerging developments in welfare biomarkers, activity-based welfare assessment and their combination and integration into “smart” husbandry support systems that will ensure optimum welfare for dairy animals. The Action will disseminate outputs widely to researchers, industry, dairy farmer end-users, consumers, policy makers and society generally. It will ensure that European dairy research remains world-leading, that European dairy animals are the best cared-for in the world, and that European consumers can take pride in European dairy industries that are competitive, responsible and sustainable.
