International
Partnership agreement for advancement of animal production, health and welfare
signed between University of Edinburgh and ICAR
An exciting collaboration has been agreed between
the University of Edinburgh and the Government of India’s Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR), which was signed at a two day workshop on
production animal health and welfare held in Delhi last week.
With the world population set to rise to 9
billion by 2050, and an expected significant increase in meat consumption, meeting
the future demand for safe, sustainable and affordable livestock products is a
high priority. As this need for greater animal production rises, it is
important to recognise the critical relationship between poor standards of
animal health and welfare, reduced animal productivity and human health. With a
population of 1.3 billion people and home to 600 million livestock animals and
rising, India is expected to be one of the countries with a substantial
increase in the amount of meat they eat; as such, this is a highly important
topic for the future of Indian agriculture.
The objective of last week’s two-day international workshop,
which was co-organised by ICAR and the University of Edinburgh, through the
Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education, was to
discuss and develop collaborative research and education opportunities that
will lead to improved animal production, health and welfare. Over sixty ICAR
scientists met with veterinary institutes and associated Universities at this
stimulating event, alongside ten academics from Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School
of Veterinary Studies, Roslin Institute and Scotland’s Rural College including
chief guest Professor James Smith (Edinburgh University’s International Vice
Principal) and JMICAWE’s Director, Professor Nat Waran.
The knowledge exchange activity provided fruitful
discussion, not only on future research collaborations but also on the use of
new technologies in helping to improve animal resistance to disease, the
enhancement of sustainable animal productivity, methods to improve production
animal welfare and also on capacity building through education. It was agreed
that through international partnership, Indian veterinary and animal science
training can be strengthened to provide the well-qualified skilled and animal
welfare educated researchers and veterinarians needed to serve the
ever-evolving needs of the animals and people of India.
Sustainability is
key to success, and at the workshop held at the ICAR headquarters on the 16th
and 17th February, a Memorandum of Understanding was co-signed by
the Vice-Principal of the University of Edinburgh and the Director General of
the Indian Council for Agricultural Research, cementing what will be a long and
fruitful relationship to benefit Indian production animal health and welfare research
and veterinary education over the coming years.
We are very much looking forward to working
closely with our Indian colleagues to collaborate in key strategic research and
education areas, to advance livestock production and health, whilst integrating
raised awareness of the methods and necessity for improving standards of animal
welfare.
