FEATURE · Future feeds for sustainability in European livestock production

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Project objective

The FEATURE doctoral network will train doctoral candidates (DCs) in international interdisciplinary research methodologies to assess the potential of using alternative feeds (forages, food-industry by-products, insects), that are locally growing or available in different European climates, and support transition to more sustainable, circular and resilient livestock systems, aligning with environmental and economic targets and consumer demands. The 13 DC projects will explore alternative feeds’ nutritive value and the effect of integrating them in livestock diets on animal productivity, efficiency; methane emissions and nitrogen outputs; food nutritional quality and flavour/taste; and supply-chain environmental footprint and socioeconomic implications. Multi-omics techniques and bioinformatics will be utilized to understand the role of gut ecology and host metabolism on the observed outcomes. FEATURE will co-create, via dedicated DC programmes and in collaboration with the industry partners, adoption pathways and policies for the sustainable integration of alternative feeds in European livestock value chains. The consortium involves 6 academic institutes, 4 research organisations, 7 industry partners, and 17 gender-balanced named supervisors across 7 countries. DC’s training involves secondments at industry partners for industry data collection/analysis for environmental and socioeconomic evaluations. DC’s will have access to personalised development plans, four consortium-wide training schools, skills workshops, secondments, and engagement activities to enhance their scientific knowledge, personal, soft, entrepreneurial and communications skills and support their transition to leaders in academia and industry. This expertise is crucial for bolstering the sustainability, circularity and resilience of European food systems through the adoption of practices that produce healthy, affordable and safe animal-derived foods.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• THE UNIVERSITY OF READING · ReadingCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
• AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS · MadridSpain
• Asociacion Nacional de Criadores de Ganado Ovino Selecto de Raza Manchega · AlbaceteSpain
• DUYNIE HOLDING BV · Alphen Aan Den RijnNetherlands
• De Heus Animal Nutrition · EdeNetherlands
• EIGEN VERMOGEN VAN HET INSTITUUT VOOR LANDBOUW- EN VISSERIJONDERZOEK · MerelbekeBelgium
• FEDERACION ANDALUZA DE ASOCIACIONES DE GANADO CAPRINO DE RAZA PURA, CABRANDALUCIA · AlboloteSpain
• INSTITUTO REGIONAL DE INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO AGROALIMENTARIO Y FORESTAL DE CASTILLA-LA MANCHA · TomellosoSpain
• Jata - Emona · LjubjanaSlovenia
• KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN · LeuvenBelgium
• KMETIJSKI INSTITUT SLOVENIJE - AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE OF SLOVENIA · LjubljanaSlovenia
• LABORATORIO DI STUDI RURALI SISMONDI · PisaItaly
• NUTRECO NEDERLAND BV · BoxmeerNetherlands
• TEAGASC - AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY · CarlowIreland
• UNIVERSIDAD DE GRANADA · GranadaSpain
• UNIVERSITA DI PISA · PisaItaly
• UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN · DublinIreland
• UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI · LjubljanaSlovenia

Links

• View on CORDIS
• DOI: 10.3030/101226232