Final Conference 2024

The PPILOW final conference event recently took place on 11^th (afternoon) and 12^th (full day) June at the AfricaMuseum, in Tervuren, Belgium, organised by EAAP, INRAE and INRAE Transfert. The aim of the event was to present the main achievements of the project thanks to its multiactor approach over 5 years. The Conference gathered a total of 123 participants (61 on line and 62 on site), 56 PPILOW partners and  67 external participants.

The presentations focused on the PPILOW realisations in terms of welfare self-assessment tools for evaluating the welfare of pigs and poultry in low input outdoor and organic farms, the strategies to avoid feather pecking in non-beak-trimmed hens and the castration of male pigs, in ovo sexing and the use of dual-purpose breeds for avoiding the culling of layer male chicks on the first conference afternoon. On the 12^th of June, participants could exchange on PPILOW results concerning strategies to improve robustness, health and resilience in both species, in broilers concerning strains well adapted to the free range and the identification of markers or range use, and concerning early life management levers such as incubation temperatures and on-farm hatching to improve welfare and resilience of outdoor chickens. Much interest was raised on the use of medicinal plants for improving the health of laying hens and pigs, and on the strategies to improve piglet survival in organic systems through selection and the co-design with practitioners of 4 countries of innovative farrowing huts for sows and piglets on the free range. The business models associated to the use of the PPILOW practices were presented, as well as consumer and practitioner views on the strategies proposed. The participants had the chance to follow the presentation of linked EU-funded projects, the aWISH project and the newly-launched European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare. The connections of PPILOW with other initiatives of the European funded Research network were highlighted, before representatives of the PPILOW project, its European Multiactor Board, the European Commission DG Agri and DG Sante and of Organic production systems and Animal welfare associations debated on the main results and outputs of the project supporting animal health and welfare, especially in the currently difficult economic and sanitary context for organic and low-input outdoor farming systems.

Click here to read the Agenda. The conference was recorded, below you will find the video link for the presentations and the pdf presentations.

Day 1 – June 11: 

• “Overview of the PPILOW Project and its multiactor approach “ – Riccardo Carelli (EAAP), Anne Collin (INRAE), Monica Coletta (AIAB). Pdf presentation.
• “PIGLOW and EBENE: Development and on farm testing of apps for animal welfare self-assessments” – Evelien Graat (ILVO). Pdf presentation. 
• Session: “How to avoid feather pecking in non-beak-trimmed hensand piglet castration?”:
  • “Early-life strategies to limit feather pecking in laying hens” – Saskia Kliphuis (UU). Pdf presentation.
  • “Genetics and management of non-castrated male pigs in low input outdoor and organic systems ” – Bénédicte Lebret (INRAE). Pdf presentation.
• Session: “Alternatives to the elimination of layer male chicks”:
  • “Alternatives to the elimination of layer male chicks” – Sarah Lombard (ITAB). Pdf Presentation.
  • “In ovo sexing tools” – Sophie Rehault-Godbert (INRAE). Pdf presentation.
  • “Dual-purpose breeds including multicriteria assessment, economic and business models ” – Maxime Reverchon (SYSAAF), Helen Pluschke (Thuenen), Sanna Steenfeldt (AU), Petra Thobe (Thuenen), Sarah Lombard (ITAB). Pdf presentation.

Day 2 – June 12: 

• Session: “Genetics and range use by organic broilers”:
  • “Adaptability of broiler strains to the free range and agroforestry ” – Cesare Castellini and Elisa Angelucci (UNIPG). Pdf presentation.
  • “Individual variability of range use and genetic strategies” – Elisabeth Le-Bihan Duval (INRAE). Pdf presentation.
• Session: “Early management of broilers for welfare improvement”:
  • “Early life management solutions to improve resilience in slow-growing broilers” – Roos Molenaar (WUR). Pdf presentation.
  • “On-farm hatching in low-input outdoor and organic broiler farms ” – Anne Collin (INRAE). Pdf presentation..
• Session: “Plants for better health of pigs and laying hens”:
  • “Improving the gastro-intestinal health and welfare of laying hens by the use of dietary plant additives” – Ricarda Engberg (AU). Pdf presentation.
  • “Improving the robustness of laying hens and piglets against parasitic and bacterial infections” – Marina Spinu, Vasile Cozma (USAMV). Pdf presentation.
• Session: “Sow and piglet welfare in low-input outdoor and organic farms”:
  • “Improve sow welfare and piglet survival through selective breeding and innovation within farrowing house design for outdoor rearing” – Elodie Merlot (INRAE). Pdf presentation.
  • “Design of innovative farrowing huts with PPILOW farmers and involved partners” –  Pia Vanggaard (Vanggaard Staldmontage). Pdf presentation.
• “Questionnaire on biosecurity measures in organic, extensive and small-scale pig and poultry systems” –  Anna Zuliani (VSF) and Monica Coletta (AIAB). Pdf presentation.
• “How does PPILOW connect with the other European initiatives on Animal Health and Welfare?”: 
  • “The aWISH project: Animal Welfare Indicators at the SlaughterHouse – Overview project” –  Frank Tuyttens (ILVO). Pdf presentation.
  • “Enhanced and cost-effective biosecurity in livestock production” –  Evelien Biebaut (UGENT). Pdf presentation.
  • “EUPAHW – General Presentation” – Alain Boissy (INRAE). Pdf presentation.
  • “Synergies of PPILOW with other European projects and networks” – Léa Tourneur (ACTA). Pdf presentation.
• “Consumer and practitioner views and lessons from the workshop on PPILOW business models “ – Jarkko Niemi (Luke) and Petra Thobe (Thuenen). Pdf presentation.
• “Round table with stakeholders on PPILOW impacts in the context of European legislation on Animal Welfare, organic farming and labelling initiatives”. Céline Ledoux (DG SANTE), Laurence Bonafos (DG AGRI), Alain Boissy (INRAE), Helene Schmutzler (IFOAM), Ines, Grenho Ajuda (Eurogroup for Animals), Anne Collin (INRAE).
• “Acknowledgements” – Anne Collin (INRAE). Pdf presentation.