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First LowInputBreeds Symposium on Ethical Consideration in Livestock Breeding

The first LowInputBreeds Symposium on Ethical Consideration in Livestock Breeding is organised by the EU-funded project LowInputBreeds in cooperation with the European Consortium for Organic Animal Breeding ECO-AB.

Ethical considerations are the focus of this two day symposium. With regard to breeding, two perspectives are clearly associated with ethics: what are the breeding goals and why and what breeding and/or reproduction technology is used.

Consequently following two main topics will be addressed:Breeding goals and breeding methods suitable for livestock breeds used in low external input systems (organic and non-organic).

The main discussion points will be effects on biodiversity, discarding of male animals, molecular techniques such as genomic selection, and economic impacts.

Researchers from LowInputBreeds will present their aims and the breeding technologies used. Discussion of the ethical aspects will then be initiated by invited speakers from relevant stakeholder groups.

General issues will be discussed across species in plenary sessions and more detailed issues in parallel sessions specific to ruminants (dairy cattle and sheep) and mono-gastrics (pigs and laying hens).

Ideas for presentations are welcomed. Based on these ideas and invited papers, the final program will be compiled.

A background paper on the ethical issues identified within the project LowInputBreeds will be available for participants. Guidelines will be made for contributors in order to focus the discussions.

During the symposium, time is reserved for internal meetings of the subprojects and for the general assembly of LowInputBreeds.

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About LowInputsBreeds

The LowInputBreeds project unites 21 partners from Europe and further afield and will develop integrated breeding and management strategies to tackle the issue of improved animal health and food quality. It will run until 2014 and is co-funded by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. Veronika Maurer of FiBL is the project's scientific coordinator.