Project aims

The scientific concept of the LowInputBreeds project is to improve animal health,  product quality and  performance of organic and "low input" production systems  through research, development, training and dissemination activities focused on the development of novel breeding concepts/strategies and their integration with appropriate management innovations. The project will focus on 6 major livestock production systems (dairy cows and beef cattle, dairy and meat sheep, pigs and laying hens).

The project's objectives are:

• To develop and to analyse innovative breeding concepts  for their ability to deliver genotypes with ‘robustness’ and quality traits required under organic and ‘low input’ production conditions;
• To integrate the use of improved genotypes with innovative management approaches suitable for organic and ‘low input’ systems;
• to carry out economic, environmental, genetic diversity and ethical impacts assessments to quantify the performance of improved breeds/genotypes and management innovations against different societal and consumer demands.
• To establish a training and dissemination programme aimed at facilitating rapid exploit-tation of results by the organic and ‘low input’ industry. This will involve close collaboration with established technology transfer networks in Europe 

Fulfilling the above objectives will allow the LowInputBreeds project to deliver against the expected impact of Call KBBE-2007-1-3-07  under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities  which is to  “stimulate organic and ‘low input’ livestock production by enabling logical, regionally-adapted breeding strategies to be developed that are compatible with sustainable production, high product quality and organic principles”.