Three different EU funding networks: ERA-NET SusAn (ERA-NET on Sustainable Animal Production Systems); ERA-GAS (Greenhouse Gas Monitoring and Mitigation in Agri- and Silviculture); & ICT-AGRI 2 (Information and Communication Technologies and Robotics for Sustainable Agriculture) will organize a joint workshop to identify promising approaches to reduce GHG emissions in livestock production.
Background
More than 100 countries pledged to reduce GHG emissions in the 2015 Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Global GHG emissions from agriculture reached an all-time high in 2014, with 5.25 billion tons of CO2 equivalents, representing approximately 21% of total anthropogenic emissions (FAO June 2016). Raising livestock is one of the key drivers in this development.
ERA-NET SusAn is an ERA-NET Cofund which aims to fund research which maximizes the benefits between the three pillars of sustainability: society, environment and economy in livestock production. ERA-GAS is an ERA-NET Cofund which aims to strengthen the transnational coordination of research programmes and provide added value to research and innovation on greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring and mitigation in the European Research Area. ICT-AGRI 2 is an ERA-NET which aims to to contribute to the development of an eco-efficient, resource-efficient and competitive agriculture through an enhanced and improved use of ICT and robotics.
Aim of the workshop
SusAn, ERA-GAS and ICT-AGRI have identified a number of potential areas of synergy. This workshop will explore one of those areas in detail: Comparison of animal production systems with respect to GHGs. Particular attention will be paid to the following two sub-topics:
- Breeding, physiology, feed & nutrition
- Production technology and management (e.g. housing systems; optimal field and grazing management)
The output of the workshop will be the basis for future joint calls and other activities between the three ERA-NETs.
Why should I participate?
The three ERA-NETs have overlapping research agenda and targets and bringing these three communities together in one workshop offers the possibility for each to achieve much more impact than any of the groups can achieve on their own. Your participation will allow you to input into the research agenda of future joint calls and other activities between the ERA-NETs. The format of the workshop will be highly interactive, so you can expect an informative and stimulating experience. The date has been planned to coincide with the FACCE Governing Board meeting in Berlin. So if you are travelling for FACCE GB, you can get extra value for the trip by travelling one day early and attending this workshop. Finally, the output of the workshop will be a deliverable for all three ERA-NETs. As partners in the ERA-NETs, we hope that you will want to contribute to the successful achievement of the aims of the individual ERA-NETs and towards a more sustainable livestock production system for Europe.
Additional information concerning the agenda, the topics and the venue will be circulated in due course.
Contact persons: Jan Erpenbach (ICT-AGRI), Email: jan.erpenbach@ble.de, Phone: +49-228-6845-3568
Katrin Spoth (ERA-GAS), Email: Katrin.spoth@ble.de, Phone: +49-228-6845-3836
Arnd Bassler (ERA-Net SusAn) , Email: Arnd.Bassler@ble.de, Phone: +49-228-6845-3506