SAFO

A European network for animal health and food safety in organic husbandry

A new European network has been established in order to make it possible for researchers, veterinarians and others working with animal health and/or food safety to meet and exchange both research results as well as practical experience concerning organic husbandry.

The network is part of a European project cooperation – a so-called concerted action – with the title ”Sustaining Animal Health and Food Safety in Organic Farming (SAFO). Besides establishing collaboration across the borders, the project is to make proposals and recommendations for the European protocol for organic husbandry and food production.

Within SAFO, a total of five workshops will be held over the next three years, focusing on various aspects of animal health and food safety.

The initial workshop will be held September 5th – 7th this year in Florence, Italy. The theme of the workshop is ” socio-economic aspects of health and food safety in organic farming”.

At this workshop, there will be contributions describing attitudes, demands and expectations in connection with organic animal production, as well as contributions describing the economic and practical potentialities.

Based on the contributions, an essential aspect of the meeting will be to discuss the perspectives for organic production – with special consideration for the health of the animals and food safety.

Later, there will be workshops, focusing more on the specific possibilities of enhancing health and food safety in organic farming.

Beyond this, a series of Road shows” will be carried out in those of the east European countries that are expected to be admitted to the European Union. The purpose will be to improve the quality of production, rules and control etc., within these countries, in anticipation of reaching a European level.

The project has its own homepage: www.safonetwork.org. At this homepage, it is possible to register for the workshop as well as subscribe to news from the project.

A steering committee with representatives from Denmark, Germany, Italy, and the UK is coordinating the network.