Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is the largest public institution dedicated to research in Spain. The CSIC plays a central role in scientific and technological policy, ranging from basic research to the transfer of knowledge to the productive sector. The Mountain Livestock Institute (IGM), located in Grulleros (León), is a mixed centre owned jointly by CSIC and UNILEON. The mission of the IGM is to generate the scientific knowledge needed to modernize the management and technology of agricultural systems and to characterize and value the services and goods both marketable and intangible (conservation of the environment and landscape) they produce. The IGM is aimed to research in areas related to nutrition, production and animal health, mainly ruminants, and the relationship between livestock systems and land use. The aim is to contribute to improving current production systems in relation to production performance, animal health and welfare, as well as interaction with the environment (land use or pollution, among others) and the quality of the products obtained. The Ruminant Nutrition group, led by Dr. Pilar de Frutos, is devoted to studies on the effects of nutritional factors on metabolism and digestive utilization of feeds, feed efficiency, and milk nutritional quality.