Background and strategy

The organic livestock sector is at a relatively early and fragile stage of development. EU Regulation 1804/1999 (now integrated into Regulation 2092/91) has been a major step forward in defining and harmonising organic livestock production in the Community, but it is vital that the Regulation is now implemented properly and uniformly across the EU. This is given added importance by the imminent expansion of the EU to include East and Central European countries. Organic farming is perceived as a high quality food production system and it is important that this perception is not undermined through inadvertent compromises in animal health and welfare and food safety problems caused by zoonotic diseases, resulting from misunderstandings over the interpretation and implementation of the Regulation.

Clearly, there is a need for more research but there is also much existing knowledge and experience, which need to be distilled, distributed and implemented across the Community. In addition to the need for new research and for wider dissemination of existing technical knowledge, organic farming (and the new higher profile, which food safety has commanded in recent years) also requires a different approach and a different attitude towards livestock husbandry, health and welfare, and the production of safe food products, from farm level to the consumers. The SAFO network will provide an important opportunity to share existing knowledge and experience and to identify new research priorities at this important time in the development of organic livestock industry. A number of the partners in this network have regular direct contact with policy-makers, advisory services, farmers and agricultural students in their own countries, in addition to being actively involved in research programmes on organic livestock. Thus the partners are in an ideal situation to act as a conduit for this activity of distillation, distribution and implementation.

The strategy for exploitation and dissemination of the common body of information generated by SAFO network activity will have several different elements:

The workshops themselves will be the primary vehicle by which this information resource will be pooled together within the partner group itself. These will provide a formal and active sharing and learning experience for approximately 90 people from at least 21 countries in Europe at each Workshop. 59 of the delegates will be invited. Partners will be invited to all workshops and are expected to invite experts from their countries. In order to bring the aspects of animal health and food safety in direct dialogue, one participant with specific expertise in food safety and one with specific expertise in animal health are encouraged to be present in relation to each partner. To all workshops, representatives from five major European stakeholder organisations are expected to be invited in order to facilitate not only the transfer of knowledge and technology, but emphasise the active dialogue between end users, researchers from different areas.