Four workshops are taking place, open to both early stage researchers and agricultural advisors/technologists to facilitate an exchange of ideas/opinions and know-how and encourage potential future collaboration between the two target groups.

The workshops:

1. Methods and strategies in farmer-participatory selection/breeding
2. Breeding for ‘robustness’, and quality traits; theory and practice
3. Methods/strategies for genome-wide and marker assisted selection/breeding
4. Animal health and welfare management in organic and ‘low input’ production systems 
5. Feeding regimes in organic and ‘low input’ ruminant and monogastric production systems 

Each workshop accommodates up to 15 researchers from partner organisations and 15 participants from organisations not involved in the consortium. The workshops are advertised on the LowInputBreeds website.

In June 2011 a workshop took place in Switzerland.

An exchange programme for early stage researchers involved in the LowInputBreeds activities will be developed.

This will contribute to addressing

• the training needs identified in individual development plans for junior researchers (identified by individual partner organisations) and
• the needs for training in specific techniques/methodologies identified by partner institutions.