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The aim of the project was to improve the health of dairy cows in organic dairy farming through innovative counselling approaches. The researchers developed advisory tools using a participatory approach between the farmer and his advisors, including the veterinarian. The aim was to gain a better understanding of the entire farming system in order to provide more appropriate advice and also to better monitor the herd's health status in order to more effectively prevent diseases in organic farming.

The proposed tools were well received, as was the participatory approach that guided their development. Some people in the assembly are ready to take the concept forward to find extensions in future calls for projects. The participatory approach would therefore have a bright future ahead of it.

An "alternative medicine" component has also been developed in the project. It appears that the results found in the scientific literature are not conclusive as to the effectiveness of these medicines, even if the farmers are satisfied with them in the field. On the other hand, they are generally little accompanied in their practices of homeopathy or phytotherapy. Representatives of various associations defending their use in veterinary medicine have approved the need to increase the funds dedicated to research on these alternative medicines, in order to allow their development.

On the whole, the project seemed to arouse strong interest among those present at this final conference. Moreover, the tool for monitoring the herd's health status has already been taken up in other national research projects developed within the UMR BIOEPAR, such as the Equibio project, the GISA meta-programme and the CASDAR OTOVEIL.

Project Partners :

University of Kassel, Allemagne
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Suède
École Nationale Vétérinaire, Agroalimentaire et de l'Alimentation, Nantes-Atlantique, France
Wageningen University, Pays-Bas
Institute of Agriculture and Food Research and Technology, Espagne
Data Service Paretz GMBH, Allemagne
University of Reading, Royaume-Uni

Learn more about the project :

http://impro-dairy.eu/index.php/fr/

Contact :

Nathalie Bareille, Professor - nathalie.bareille@oniris-nantes.fr

UMR 1300 INRA/ONIRIS "Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque" (BIOEPAR)

École Nationale Vétérinaire, Agroalimentaire et de l'Alimentation, Nantes-Atlantique,
Atlanpôle - La Chantrerie CP 40706,
44307 Nantes Cedex 03