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1st IFOAM International Conference on Animals in Organic Production |
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This conference will focus on important issues concerning organic livestock and animal husbandry. It will concentrate upon health and food safety in organic livestock production systems, marketing trends, innovation in organic livestock production systems and livestock breeding strategies.
Leading organic livestock researchers and producers from throughout the world will share state-of-science research findings and production information during the three-day event.
Main objectives of the conference
- Identification of best practices in organic livestock production and marketing
- Advancement of animal health and welfare in organic production systems
- Facilitating trade in organic livestock products
Target groups
- Livestock producers, processors, retailers and traders
- Developers of standards and certification systems for organic livestock
- Governmental or intergovernmental organizations involved in the sector
- Researchers, consultants and other service providers
- Veterinarians and animal nutritionists
The main issues covered by the conference program include:
- Livestock standards and regulations
- Trends and opportunities in organic livestock production
- Animal health and food safety in organic livestock production systems
- Best practices for the production and management of various animal species
- Livestock breeding
The conference will begin on August 23 with tours of organic livestock farms in the Twin Cities area, including lunch and a tour of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
During the evening of August 23, opening remarks will be delivered by Minnesota’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Gene Hugoson, and the UMN’s Dean of Extension, Bev Durgan. The opening keynote will given by Dr. Fred Kirschenmann of Iowa State University’s Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Dr. Kirschenmann will discuss, “Animals in an Organic System – Exploring the Ecological, Social, and Economic Functions of Animals in Organic Agriculture.”
Dr. Mette Vaarst, DVM, of the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, will speak on “Sustaining Animal Health and Food Safety Through Organic Methods” during the morning keynote on August 24. Dr. Vaarst’s keynote address will be followed by workshops on organic poultry, dairy, sheep, hogs, and beef, as well as organic livestock standards. Groundbreaking research will be presented on differences between antibiotic-resistant bacteria on organic vs conventional livestock farms.
Noted author, researcher, and acclaimed speaker Dr. Temple Grandin will present the evening keynote, which will be held in the North Star Ballroom of the UMN Student Center. Dr. Grandin, an autistic woman who has developed humane livestock handling systems used worldwide, will present “Animals in Translation,” which explores how animals see the world.
The evening of August 24 will conclude with a dance party in the North Star Ballroom, with music provided by The Pheromones!
Dr. David Wallinga, MD, from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, will give the morning keynote on August 25. Dr. Wallinga will discuss “Antibiotic Resistance and the Organic Alternative.” There will be workshops on humane treatment, biosecurity, animal health, market access, milk quality, and food safety.
The closing keynote will be given by Jim Riddle, the UMN’s Coordinator for Organic Agriculture Outreach, who will discuss “Fostering Organic Livestock Research – Priorities and Preferences.” The program will conclude with reports from session moderators on key findings of the conference, along with a conference resolution, presented by Angela Caudle, IFOAM’s Executive Director.
Delicious local organic food will be served throughout the conference, with donations from Gardens of Eagan, Organic Valley, Stonyfield Farm, Nancy’s Organic Yogurt, The Wedge, French Meadow Bakery, Coop Partners Warehouse, Frey Vineyards and Cornercopia, the UMN’s Student Organic Farm on the St. Paul campus.
Conference Tour
The conference tour will take place on August 23, 2006, and is included as part of the registration fee. Participants will meet for a casual breakfast and welcome address at the University of Minnesota Continuing Education Center the morning of the 23rd, and will subsequently board buses to tour various organic animal production facilities in the Twin Cities area, and all participants will meet at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (www.arboretum.umn.edu), for a certified organic lunch. The Arboretum, a jewel of Minnesota, features spectacular annual and perennial display gardens, collections of plants developed for northern climates, natural and native areas, and demonstration gardens.
Program Committee
- Jim Riddle, Program Coordinator, United States
- Mette Meldgaard, IFOAM World Board Member, Denmark
- Dr. Mahesh Chander, Senior Scientist at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), India
- Dr. Robert Koelher, University of Minnesota
- Professor Neil Macgregor, New Zealand
- Barbara Früh, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)
Conference Secretariat
IFOAM Head Office
Charles-de-Gaulle-Str.5
53113 Bonn, Germany
Tel: ++49-228-92650-16
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1st IFOAM Conference on Animals in Organic Production Advances Global Organic Livestock Sector
In St. Paul, Minnesota, from August 27th 2006 - From August 23rd to 25th, over 250 of the world's leading organic livestock experts from 24 countries joined together for the 1st IFOAM International Conference on Animals in Organic Production at the University of Minnesota's Continuing Education and Conference Center.
Jim Riddle, the University of Minnesota's Organic Outreach Coordinator and conference coordinator, said, "The University of Minnesota was honored to host this historic event, which brought together top organic livestock researchers and producers from around the world. The exchange of information was incredible, and the impacts of this conference will be felt for years to come."
The conference came to diverse signficant scientific conclusions that are crucial for both organic and conventional livestock sectors. Significantly, one study presented at the conference by Dr. Taradon Lunangtongkum concluded that resistance to important antibiotics for human health - fluoroquinolones - had been developed by the highly pathogenic Campylobacter jejuni species of bacteria in 46% of conventionally raised chickens and 67% of conventional turkeys respectively, whereas less than 2 % of the organically raised chickens and turkeys exhibited resistance to these important antibiotics. The presentations arrived at many conclusions that demonstrate that organic livestock systems improve both animal and human health while protecting the environment. To purchase the complete proceedings of the conference, visit:
http://shop.ifoam.org/bookstore/
Dr. Temple Grandin, noted author of Animals in Translation and other important works and keynote speaker at the conference emphasized that "people need to wake up to the sensory-based thinking of animals. Organic Agriculture is postitioned to create a new model of agriculture based upon Principles that are diametrically opposed to industrial agriculture.... Humans can no longer regard themselves as somehow separate from the ecosphere of which they are an integral part. In terms of organic standards and animal welfare we have to make sure that sick animals get treated in organic systems."
The participants of the conference collaboratively developed and issued the St. Paul Declaration, which recognizes that animals are sentient beings, expresses a committment to the Principles of Organic Agriculture that ensure the inclusion of animal welfare and animal health management as integral components of organic food and fiber production systems, and concludes that animals should be provided with the conditions and opportunities that accord with their physiology and natural behavior. The St. Paul Declaration calls for financial and institutional support to expand research and extenstion on organic animal production and management systems, calls on the business and investment community to participate in the sustained economic development of the organic livestock sector and acknowledges the role of organic standards in achieving tangible outcomes for animal health and welfare. The complete text of the St. Paul Declaration can be accessed via the IFOAM website at:
http://www.ifoam.org/press/positions/St.Paul_Declaration.html
Sponsors for the conference included Organic Valley, Newman’s Own Organics, Northland Organic Foods, Stoneyfield Farm, Indian Herbs, Horizon Organic, Aurora Organic Dairy, FiBL – Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, MOSES – Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services, Organic Choice, OTA – Organic Trade Association, Sunrich/SunOpta, Crystal Creek, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and the University of Minnesota.
Delicious local organic food was served throughout the conference, with donations from Gardens of Eagan, Organic Valley, Stoneyfield Farm, Horizon Organic, Nancy’s Organic Yogurt, The Wedge, French Meadow Bakery, Coop Partners Warehouse, Frey Organic Vineyards, Pastureland Dairy, Peace Coffee, and Cornercopia, the UMN’s Student Organic Farm on the St. Paul campus.
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