The SPARC project was presented during the third day of the congress by Professor Laura Rinaldi of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production of the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. The congress audience, composed of scientists, consultants and breeders, witnessed an important event for the local livestock sector, since Sardinia is the first region in Italy in terms of sheep numbers.
The UNINA team (Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production), a community of professors, students and technical-administrative staff, is committed on a daily basis to high-quality training, innovative scientific research, constant interaction with the international scientific community and a continuous dialogue with the stakeholders and end-users in the fields of veterinary medicine, animal production and food safety. The main research activities of the Unit of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases of UNINA concern epidemiology (using geospatial tools), diagnosis (using traditional and innovative techniques) and control of worm infections of veterinary interest. The UNINA team supports veterinarians, farm advisors and ruminant farmers in southern Italy by disseminating best practices for the diagnosis and sustainable control of parasites in order to improve animal health and welfare as well as the economic performance and environmental sustainability of the livestock sector.
Coordinator: Laura Rinaldi (lrinaldi@unina.it)
Vice-Coordinator: Antonio Bosco (antonio.bosco@unina.it)
SPARC Ambassador: Ruggero Amato (ruggero.amato@unina.it), Augusto Calbi (direzione@aracampania.it)
SPARC Communication Officer: Giuseppe Martone (giuseppe.martone@wormsparc.com)
Veterinary Research Institute (VRI) belongs to the Hellenic Agricultural Organization (ELGO-DIMITRA), which is the national body for Agricultural Research and Technology in Greece. Moreover, ELGO-DIMITRA is the mandated body for the educational programs for farmers in Greece. VRI is the sole Institute dealing with animal health and welfare R&D and advice in Greece and aims to reduce environmental impacts and improve food quality. SPARC involves the Team of Parasitology which focus on the epidemiology of parasitic infections and the support of sustainable disease management schemes in livestock (mainly sheep and goats) aiming to improve product quality/safety, addressing EU Policy priorities. The last years a main research interest of the Team is anthelmintic resistance and alternative solutions to conventional antiparasitic treatments.
Coordinator: Smaragda Sotiraki (sotiraki@elgo.gr; smaro_sotiraki@yahoo.gr)
Vice-Coordinator: Vaia Kantzoura (kantzoura@elgo.gr)
SPARC Ambassador: Emily Aggelaki (aggelaki.emily@gmail.com), Manolis Paterakis (paterakisemanouil@gmail.com)
SPARC Communication Officer: Panagiota Ligda (giota.lig@hotmail.com)
Kreavet is a research and consulting agency supporting companies, institutions and professional organisations to meet today’s challenges in the field of animal health and sustainable livestock farming. Our mission is to support our clients in the development of animal health solutions contributing to the provision of safe and sustainable animal-based products globally. We do this by research & development activities, enhancing strategic collaborations and providing trainings in animal health and research. Sustainable parasite control is at the core of Kreavet’s expertise and mission. With our web-based decision support tool Wormwize®, we empower veterinarians and herd health advisors to provide evidence based and sustainable worm control advice on his/her cattle farms.
Coordinator: Johannes Charlier (jcharlier@kreavet.com)
Vice-Coordinator: Tong Wang (twang@kreavet.com)
SPARC Ambassador: Daan Latré (daanlatre@hotmail.com)
SPARC Communication Officer: Alistair Antonopoulos (alistair@kreavet.com)
ZLTO is the association of and for 12,000 farmers and horticulturists in the southern part of the Netherlands. With LTO Noord and LLTB we work together as LTO Nederland, which represents the whole country.
We stand for the continuity of agriculture and horticulture and future perspective for farmers and horticulturists.
As a lobbying association, we are the link between farmers and horticulturists, the government, industry and society. We work hard to create and maintain future perspective for agricultural entrepreneurs. We also join forces with our members and stimulate cooperation and innovation in agriculture and horticulture.
Employees at ZLTO include lobbyist, project managers and farm advisors. In our work, one of the priorities is continued sustainability in livestock farming. We want a feasible, affordable and sustainable system for keeping animals. This is good for human and animal health, climate and environment. A fair earnings model for the farmer is an important criterion in this.
Coordinator: Annick Spaans (annick.spaans@zlto.nl)
Vice-Coordinator: Eva Litjens (eva.litjens@zlto.nl)
SPARC Ambassador:
SPARC Communication Officer: Annick Spaans (annick.spaans@zlto.nl)
The Laboratory for Parasitology of Ghent University has extensive experience in integrated parasite control in cattle. We combine different approaches to reduce production losses due to helminth infections and to delay anthelmintic resistance. Methods were developed to improve worm control in cattle, including strategic treatment regimens, experimental vaccines and improved diagnosis. Knowledge about the farm-specific economic impact of worm infections and the effect of grazing management on worm infections allows us to provide advice on worm control in a farm-specific context. To improve the acceptance of our advice by farmers and veterinarians, we identified factors that influence the behaviour of livestock farmers and their adoption of sustainable worm control practices. The combination of sustainable worm control and a better understanding of factors that determine farmer and veterinarian decisions related to worm control will result in more cost-effective control strategies.
Coordinator: Edwin Claerebout (edwin.claerebout@ugent.be)
Vice-Coordinator: Janne Goes (janne.goes@ugent.be)
SPARC Ambassador: Daan Latré (daanlatre@hotmail.com)
SPARC Communication Officer: Edwin Claerebout (edwin.claerebout@ugent.be)
The CIIRPO carries out research and disseminates technical knowledge on sheepmeat production by coordinating a network of experimental farms and agricultural colleges. The research and innovation centre at Le Mourier (87) raises a flock of 750 ewes on 95 hectares of grassland. The grass-fed sheepmeat production system is thrifty and self-sufficient, with lambs finished using agro-ecological methods. The CIIRPO has two main missions: the first is to carry out finalised research, with around thirty studies being carried out in various fields (feed, health, reproduction, animal welfare, work, environment, etc.). The second mission is to disseminate all the technical references produced to a wide audience (students, breeders and advisors) using a variety of media (technical fact sheets, webinars, technical days, etc.).
Coordinator: Mickaël Bernard (mickael.bernard@idele.fr)
Vice-Coordinator: Denis Gautier (denis.gautier@idele.fr)
SPARC Ambassador: Mickaël Bernard (mickael.bernard@idele.fr)
SPARC Communication Officer: Mickaël Bernard (mickael.bernard@idele.fr)
Animal Health Ireland (AHI) provides benefits to livestock producers and processors by providing the knowledge, education and coordination required to establish effective control programmes for non-regulated diseases of livestock. AHI has freely available resources across all our programmes including mastitis, BVD, IBR and Johne’s disease control, biosecurity, parasite control and pig diseases. Veterinary training is provided as part of the Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH) to enable veterinarians to deliver on-farm health consultations including a recent Parasite Control TASAH which saw over 25,000 livestock farmers receive tailored advice from their veterinarians.
Coordinator: Natascha Meunier (nmeunier@animalhealthireland.ie)
Vice-Coordinator: David Graham (dgraham@animalhealthireland.ie)
SPARC Ambassador: Bruce Thompson
SPARC Communication Officer: Natascha Meunier (nmeunier@animalhealthireland.ie)
Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) is committed to support a transformative and sustainable economy through world-class education and research. It is ranked first in the UK for research in Agriculture and Veterinary Science in the last research excellence framework assessment. The Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) is one of four interdisciplinary Global Research Institutes at QUB, established to address key, international challenges – in this case, the integrity of our food systems. Within IGFS, well-established research groups in Parasitology focus on parasite biology and drug resistance, new diagnostic and control tools, effects of climate change on transmission, and host responses to co-infection. Strong links with practitioners in livestock sectors in Northern Ireland, the rest of the UK and Europe, and globally, enable the translation of this research into sustainable tools for parasite management in a rapidly changing world, to support food security and economic and environmental sustainability.
Coordinator: Eric Morgan (eric.morgan@qub.ac.uk)
Vice-Coordinator: Eric Morgan (eric.morgan@qub.ac.uk)
SPARC Ambassador: Eric Morgan (eric.morgan@qub.ac.uk)
SPARC Communication Officer: Eric Morgan (eric.morgan@qub.ac.uk)
Bioresearch Laboratories, founded in 2001, is a microbiological and chemical/biochemical laboratory situated in Heraklion in Crete. The company’s main aim is to provide its clients with accurate and secure laboratory analysis, scientific support and consultancy. The majority of BRL’s clients are professional in the agri-food sector such as farmers, cheese factories, animal feed factories etc.
Within the scope of the project, BRL taking advantage of the long-standing relationship with the above mentioned stakeholders will contribute to the recruitment of stakeholder the dissemination/communication activities and most importantly to the education of interested parties to the innovative approaches initiated by this project.
Coordinator: Alexandros Stefanakis (stefanakisa@yahoo.gr)
Vice-Coordinator: Eleftherios Stefanakis
SPARC Ambassador: Emily Aggelaki (aggelaki.emily@gmail.com) and Manolis Paterakis (paterakisemanouil@gmail.com)
SPARC Communication Officer: Lefteris Stefanakis (efteris.stef@yahoo.gr)
EV ILVO conducts multidisciplinary, innovative and independent research aimed at economically, ecologically and socially sustainable agriculture and fisheries. EVILVO, who is the SPARC project coordinator,has substantial experience in thematic networks (DISARM, BOVINE, Netpoulsafe, Agridemo and several others) and in coordinating European projects (e.g., ENFASYS, DISARM, CHORIZO).
Coordinator: Helena C. de Carvalho Ferreira (helena.ferreira@ilvo.vlaanderen.be)
Vice-Coordinator: Fanny Baudoin (fanny.baudoin@ilvo.vlaanderen.be)
SPARC Ambassador:
SPARC Communication Officer: Helena C. de Carvalho Ferreira (helena.ferreira@ilvo.vlaanderen.be)
TOINEN pro art foundation is a local Polish organization promoting knowledge and culture, especially in rural areas. The TOINEN pro art team includes specialists with many years of experience in health management in herds of small ruminants (goats and sheep). The main area of activity in connection with participation in the SPARC project is to spread knowledge and practices related to the sustainable control of parasites in grazing ruminants, with the greatest emphasis on combating drug resistance in helminths.
Coordinator: Jaroslaw Kaba (jkaba@o2.pl)
Vice-Coordinator: Marcin Mickiewicz (marcin.m157@gmail.com)
SPARC Ambassador: Grzegorz Winiarek, Tomasz Winiarek
SPARC Communication Officer: Marcin Mickiewicz (marcin.m157@gmail.com)
Institut de l’Élevage (IDELE) is a national French technical institute for applied research into herbivore farming (cattle, sheep, goats and horses). Working with its network of partners, IDELE aims to develop and disseminate innovative technical solutions to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of these livestock farms and their sectors, taking into account technical, health, economic and social issues. It conducts multi-partner research projects in all areas of livestock farming (economics, production, reproduction, health, nutrition, environment, genetics, etc.). In the field of parasitology, it has been working for many years with its partners to test agro-ecological solutions to combat resistance to anti-parasitics treatments: rational grazing management, mixing different animal species in the pasture, phytonutrition-health, rational use of anthelmintics, selective targeted treatment, genetic selection, etc.
Coordinator: Carole Toczé (carole.tocze@idele.fr)
Vice-Coordinator: Florence Bedoin (florence.bedoin@idele.fr)
SPARC Ambassador: Carole Toczé (carole.tocze@idele.fr)
SPARC Communication Officer: Carole Toczé (carole.tocze@idele.fr)
We have been transforming lives in healthcare since 1885. Our 53,500 employees in 130 markets create value through innovation by infusing long-term, sustainable thinking into our Human Pharma and Animal Health units.
We promote sustainable use of ruminant antiparasitics.
Coordinator: Gustavo Sabatini (gustavo.sabatini@boehringer-ingelheim.com)
Moredun is committed to promoting livestock health and welfare through research and education and is recognised worldwide for its contribution to research into infectious diseases. The Institute was established by Scottish farmers in 1920 and its work has always been firmly based on addressing the needs of the farming industry. Moredun’s research has led to the development of many vaccines, diagnostic tests and improved treatment strategies for farm animals across the globe.
In relation to SPARC we have expertise in applied and molecular parasitology feeding in to work on disease control strategies including targeted selective treatments, rotational grazing, precision livestock farming and grassland management as well as roundworm vaccines, stakeholder engagement/communication strategies and molecular parasitologists looking at the development and dissemination of anthelmintic resistance. We work on roundworms in sheep, cattle, deer and pigs as well as fluke infections in sheep and cattle.
Coordinator: Dave Bartley (dave.bartley@moredun.ac.uk)
Vice-Coordinator:
SPARC Ambassador:
SPARC Communication Officer: Dave Bartley (dave.bartley@moredun.ac.uk)
The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is the main agent responsible for implementing the Spanish System for Science, Technology and Innovation. One of its centers is the Institute of Mountain Livestock, or “Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña” (IGM). The mission of the IGM is to generate the scientific knowledge necessary to improve the sustainability of ruminant livestock production through a multidisciplinary approach, including health, nutrition, production, etc. The scientific activity of the Department of Animal Health is focused on interdisciplinary research on problems of parasitic and infectious etiology of high health and economic interest affecting herbivores, with special attention to ruminants. In particular, the Helminth Research Group is focused on studying the problem of resistance to anthelmintic drugs and on finding alternative solutions to parasite control, from new molecules or natural compounds to more sustainable methods that reduce the use of anthelmintics.
Coordinator: María Martínez Valladares (mmarva@unileon.es)
Vice-Coordinator: Rafael Balaña Fouce (rbalf@unileon.es)
SPARC Ambassador:
SPARC Communication Officer: María Martínez Valladares (mmarva@unileon.es)
