BroilerNet is a European project with the aim to generate and disseminate information on broiler farming to improve the resilience and sustainability of the European broiler sector. The knowledge that will be developed in, and disseminated, by BroilerNet will help broiler farmers and stakeholders to cope with challenges in the areas of environmental sustainability, animal welfare and animal health in the coming decades.
To advance and speed up the adoption of innovative practices in the areas of environmental sustainability, animal welfare and animal health, it is essential that broiler farmers learn from each other, from farm advisors and from researchers. Broiler production systems in Europe show similarities, but an increasing number of differences occur due to differences in national technological, social and administrative environments and natural conditions. BroilerNet will create innovation networks of broiler farmers, advisors, supply chain integrator companies, farmers’ organisations, researchers and veterinarians on national and international level. These networks will address the upcoming challenges faced by broiler farmers and collect and evaluate good practices around the three key themes (environmental sustainability, animal welfare and animal health). These good practices will be disseminated to farmers and stakeholders in the various European counties via video’s, leaflets, road shows and via the Broiler Knowledge Hub. The evaluation of good practices includes an economic cost-benefit analysis.
Specific objectives
Specific Objective 1: Formation of National BIN's
Twelve national Broiler Innovation Networks (BINs) will be formed including broiler farmers, integrator companies, farmers’ organisations, advisors, researchers and veterinarians. The BINs will enhance national collaboration, enable information exchange, and collect innovative ideas and Good practices (GPs).
Specific Objective 2: Formation of European TEN's
Around the 3 themes: Environmental sustainability, Animal welfare and Animal health management, Thematic Expert Networks (TENs) at the European level will be formed. The TENs aim to conduct evaluations and cost-benefit analyses of the innovative ideas and practices identified by the BINs. The best practices will be disseminated around Europe.
Specific Objective 3: Engage with existing and new broiler-focused EIP-AGRI Operational Groups (OGs)
The BINs and TENs will team up with Broiler focussed Operational Groups (Home | EIP-AGRI (europa.eu)) to identify, use and further disseminate the innovative solutions.
Specific Objective 4: Identify most urgent challenges in each country & Select of priority challenges cross countries
The 12 BINs will identify the most urgent needs for innovation and challenges across the three key themes: Environmental sustainability, Animal welfare and Animal health management.
Objective 5: collect GP's and practice-ready research solutions & evaluate BroilerNet Championships
Collect and evaluate the feasibility of practice-ready research solution - and innovative good practices that meet the urgent knowledge needs identified for each of the three key themes. The collected practice-ready research solutions (PRRSs) will be disseminated via a Knowledge Hub to be used by BINs, TENs and the wider European Broiler sector.
Objective 6: Share Knowledge
Disseminate practice-ready research solution- and innovative good practices and enhance uptake and impact by developing multi-language user material and videos to deploy the knowledge reservoir and organising national road shows. The end-user material will be developed in partnership with identified broiler related OGs and national and European AKIS channels relevant to the sector, adapted to national contexts and shared through the EIP-AGRI network.