SLU in EU-project for better health in organic dairy herds

IMPRO is short for “Impact matrix analysis and cost-benefit calculations to improve management practices regarding health status in organic dairy farming”. The project will begin this fall and will last for four years.

Among the project's goals are to develop tools to identify which measures that have the greatest potential to improve animal health, to evaluate the costs and benefits of the recommended actions, and to optimize the use of available resources.

One should also examine the motivation and attitude of the owners, advisors and veterinarians to animal health promotion and develop benchmarks for minimum acceptable levels of animal health.

The total amount funded from the EU Commission is about 25 million SEK, of which about four million goes to the Swedish part.

Participating countries are the UK, France, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Germany. In Sweden, some 50 organic herds are recruited to the project, but it also requires the active participation of advisors, veterinarians and other stakeholders. Project leader in Sweden is Professor Ulf Emanuelson, SLU.

For more information: Ulf Emanuelson (Ulf.Emanuelson@slu.se, + 46 18-67 18 26).