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Impact matrix analysis and cost-benefit calculations to improve management practices regarding health status in organic dairy farming

Objective

Animal health status in organic dairy farming does not in all respect meet consumers’ expectations. Improvements are crucial to support consumers’ confidence and their willingness to pay premium prices. These are urgently needed to cover the higher production costs. Previous herd health planning concepts have prepared the ground for further advancements. However, recommended measures are often implemented only to an unsatisfactory degree, differing widely between farms, and resulting in an improper animal health status.
The IMPRO project aims to substantially overcome weak points in current health management strategies on organic dairy farms and to increase the implementation of evidence based measures and to improve practice of health management. This will be achieved by a multidisciplinary and participatory approach to develop farm specific solutions regarding preventive measures and early treatment strategies. Researchers with a thorough experience in conducting applied research will aim for the following:
• to develop a participatory and farm-centric diagnostic tool for a sound diagnostic procedure at the farm level, identifying the most effective measures to improve animal health,
• to evaluate farm-specific costs and benefits of recommended measures, to optimise farm-specific allocation of available resources, and to emerge incentives,
• to examine the motivation and attitudes of farmer, advisor, and veterinarian directly involved in health management practice,
• to elaborate reference values for achievable standards with respect to animal health status,
• to develop a pro-active monitoring protocol aiming for improved effectiveness of preventive and treatment strategies and for a reduction in the use of allopathic remedies,
• to assess the manageability of alternative treatments according to the state-of-the-art,
• to develop a software-based tool including health monitoring, farm diagnostics’ procedures, cost-benefit calculation, and break-even analysis.

Call for proposal

FP7-KBBE-2012-6-singlestage
See other projects for this call

Coordinator

UNIVERSITAET KASSEL
EU contribution
€ 1 003 959,00
Address
Monchebergstrasse 19
34125 Kassel
Germany

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Region
Hessen Kassel Kassel, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Sigrid Reinhard
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (6)