The new venue stresses the importance of innovation for improving animal health and welfare
Technology applied to livestock farms is the protagonist of Livestock Forum 2018
The first edition of Livestock Forum, which will take place from 8 to 11 May at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue, will present the latest technical developments that can be applied in farms to improve animal health and welfare, with an aim to increasing the level of quality in livestock production and, thus, secure the supply of animal protein. Organised by Fira de Barcelona, Livestock Forum 2018 will have an exhibition area of more than 2,000 square metres and over 50 exhibitors.
The new Fira de Barcelona venue dedicated to animal health will also host a congress, with the collaboration of the Institute for Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture (IRTA) of the Government of Catalonia’s Department of Agriculture, which will cover the most efficient way to prevent, control and eradicate diseases with less antibiotics, as well as various technical sessions organised by important industry associations, such as the Professional Conferences on Aviculture from the Royal School of Aviculture.
The director of Livestock Forum, Manel Rubio, explains that “Following the 2016 and 2017 conferences, in 2018 we have a venue supported by the European Commission’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, as well as the most representative associations in the swine and bovine industries, for example, Interporc (Interprofesional Agroalimentaria del Porcino de Capa Blanca) and Asoprovac (Spanish Association of Beef Producers), among others. This first edition aims to show how innovation applied to livestock farms is essential for better animal production.”
Promoting the implementation of new technologies in farm operation and management, which has led to so-called precision livestock farming, is one of the main objectives of the venue. Therefore, there will be an area that recreates a digitalised farm, where a more thorough control of the animals and their welfare can be carried out.
In this area, Livestock Forum will stress the need for the “One Health” concept to be applied. The concept is a global strategy including human health, animal health and the environment, in which official bodies and professionals from the sectors involved participate, in order to produce healthy, safe animal foods intended for human consumption.
The first edition of Livestock Forum will be held simultaneously with Hispack, the packaging tradeshow, and FoodTech Barcelona, the tradeshow for technology in the food industry, and it will occupy the intersection of pavilions 4 and 5 at the Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue.
Barcelona, 26 January 2018